Rolling Stone on Michael Nesmith, Monkees Farewell Tour, and more (*UPDATED BELOW*)

Rolling Stone on Michael Nesmith, Monkees Farewell Tour, and more (UPDATED BELOW)

1/9/2022

In his latest piece for Rolling Stone, senior writer Andy Greene goes behind the scenes of the Monkees Farewell Tour and reveals his last interactions with Michael Nesmith:

Me and the Monkee: A Final Visit With Michael Nesmith

* UPDATE 1/10/2022 *

Hello readers of the Monkees Live Almanac,

I understand the passion that surrounds a variety of topics discussed in Mr. Greene's article linked above, and the public comments left on this blog post to date reflect those passions. However, it is my desire to keep this forum from becoming overly personal in comments made about one person or the next. As a result, I deleted several comments.

Thank you for your consideration and understanding.

19 Comments

Joe B.

1/9/2022 16:04:02

Nez will be missed. I usually don't say negative things, but I found this writers's comments on Melodie Akers interesting. If she was the young lady in many of Michael's online videos and chats, I always had an uneasy feeling about her. She seemed very controlling. The author's mention of her carrying a pouch of marijuana gummies and a bag of weed only confirmed this and whatever her relationship to Nez one has to wonder if she contributed to him seemingly always being stoned in his video appearances over the last couple of years.

Kanda

1/9/2022 19:21:00

Joe, check out #SaveMichaelNesmith. We were raising alarm bells a LONG time ago.

Sarah Delaney

3/10/2022 18:43:05

Agreed, Joe B. And as Nez used to say, Spot On. The Rolling Stone article, imo, lacked a great deal of reality. Melodie Nicole Ackers in truth, was Nez's tormentor. I knew him well, and saw the drastic change in him. I begged her to give him edibles early on, but was completely ignored by her. She even admitted in a video, that she liked to keep him very high, 24/7. Sadly, that was his undoing, as you cannot have quadruple bypass surgery and survive smoking anything, and as frequently as she had him smoking. She was his caregiver and smart enough to know better. We have lost a very great man, and I for one, will miss him as long as I live.

Shane D Worden

1/9/2022 18:00:49

RS has just put up a paywall

Hot Dog

1/10/2022 07:14:23

Well, it’s funny how all these #savenez idiots were pushing for Rolling Stone to investigate the Nez situation, tagging the mag in posts and on flyers. The magazine was worthy then. Be careful what you wish for.

The Balm

1/10/2022 10:46:12

True, hindsight and all. But, I'd never call RS "worthy". I still remember the awful article written about the ailing Rodney Dangerfield-- it wasn't about Rodney, but more about how the author enjoyed free pot, couldn't stop talking about himself, the apartment and how he couldn't stop staring at Rodney's "junk".

And, just for The Record, we're not "idiots"-- according to the experts, we're liars and dirt.

Daniëlla link

1/10/2022 16:19:07

Oh hun, the RS wasn't the only magazine we idiots approached. Time will tell what more articles this can of worms opened up.

Mr. Dobalina

1/10/2022 17:08:42

It’s all extremely sad to those of us on the outside. I know that I wanted to think it would be handled differently. But I wasn’t there, I didn’t know what they knew, was not part of the conversations, and I had no way to affect the decisions/actions anyway.

Very sad. I can only trust that those involved truly believed they were making the best choices possible and all that was within their power to do.

Still so sad.

This hit me the hardest so far .....

Persona Non Grata

1/10/2022 23:12:30

I agree wholeheartedly with the deletions of all that nasty, mucky, icky, filthy-thingy.

I believe we should all take the RS article at the full spectrum of its sparkling, feels-inducing and rainbow-laced face value. We should absorb, appreciate and take great solace in the the vitriole and aspersions hurled from the insiders, and revel in the praise of the kind-hearted, good-willed souls who gave of themselves to dutifully care for our beloved departed.

The naysayers should all be humbled and penitent to those who have risen beyond the greatest heights of humanity, and who have endeavored to foster a healthy atmosphere for everyone involved with the historically important, timely, and utterly necessary tour that was carefully arranged with everyone's health and safety in mind-- from the performers to the artists. It is no one's fault that a great majority of concert goers chose to not mask up, nor can any one person be faulted for possibly contributing to a delicate balance of palliative indulgences vs the health consequences that may or may not have arisen from any alleged excess.

Rolling Stone has done a remarkable job, as always, in providing the most accurate, non-biased and most humble, truthful and wholesome image that we've all come to expect. And no one should challenge any aspect of that whatsoever.

Can I get a "Amen"?!

Claire

1/10/2022 23:43:26

At one point early in their relationship "Dr." Eugene Landy was also considered legitimate and relatively harmless in treating Brian Wilson with lifestyle hacks. Brian defended Landry's quackery until it was almost too late.

Also, in an ideal world -- inhabited by mature, healthy, spiritually evolved adults -- grounded, illustrious souls like Michael Nesmith may die of many things, but...a "broken heart"? Could this version of this final chapter legit been averted or at least ameliorated? Tough Love is "tough" for a reason.

I am just not certain that anyone could have mustered the mettle to stand up to Nez's stubborn stoned dysfunctional atrophied fairytale nor his obsessed & possessive neurotic handler.

Salesman is Sailing So High

1/12/2022 16:21:01

I think these comments from the D.A.R.E crowd about #saving Nez from dope are so weird. Folks, I hate to break it to you, but the Monkees (and everyone around them) DID A LOT OF DRUGS.

They may have looked squeaky clean when you fell in love with them on Saturday mornings at 10 years old, but their music was, and individual lives were, always deeply embedded with the counterculture.

So Nez did a lot of weed publicly in his later years. So what? That doesn't mean he needed saving from any of you. He was likely doing the same amounts of weed from the 60's to his death (if not less than the 60s). In the 60's I'm sure he dropped a ton of acid. Have you listened to HEAD or Tantamount to Treason?

High Lama

1/12/2022 19:06:55

"...well i'm afraid your'e out of luck he's out back sleeping it off"

"you don't mean?"

"yea that's what i mean, that's how he got his name..."

Classic and love that Monkee humor and how they 'went there' especially in those times and got away with it.

Thank you, Salesman for your input.

Daniëlla link

1/15/2022 13:10:53

No one from the #savenez had any problems with him smoking a joint once in a while.

And doing lots of weed in the 60s when he was in his 20s/30s and the weed strains were much weaker is different from doing weed that's more potent and being in your 70s with heart problems.

Have you read Infinite Tuesday? He mentions that he'd tried psychedelics and had a realization that he wasn't going to get what he needed from them. So he quit altogether.

From friends accounts he was a casual drinker.

So for him to go from that to loudly proclaming he's f'ed up to the reporter.
Doing copious amounts of weeds, to the point where even his enabler says he had enough, that's a huge red flag.

People who watched his live videos could tell that something was not right, hence they voiced their concern.

Circle Skied

1/16/2022 00:50:24

Maybe folks should consider, rightly or wrongly, Michael did what HE wanted to, as he ALWAYS did and WHY we love him; at least that's why i do...unfortunately this would include having this 'bad' person in his life, his smoking out, etc (and yeah gummies better than smoking very much agreed there.) AND for the record, yeah i had some hmm's in what i saw in the video postings, but, his choice, his want, rightly or wrongly; and maybe yes, he needed someone to step in to check things out. And do we know the full picture - i know most will not like that one, but we truly don't.

Maybe he wanted to be stoned and out of it in his final months, year or 2 or however long it was, who cares; and I will say that it is beautiful that all in these posts cared about his welfare and the passion quite shows, but, in the end it was his choice...again rightly or wrongly - if i want to be out of it in my final year of life, f u i'm going to be. BUT yeah step in if someone is abusing me or taking advantage of me for any personal gain.

The videos I saw there are moments where I get what all are in a rage about, but should be noted:

1) his kids/family, including El Dolenzio, didn't seem to see a concern and are you questioning them? Do we know their positions, concerns or conflicts? Maybe yes as I'm not totally in tune as I have my own life and family to worry about.

2) he was a Christian Scientist, why is no one complaining about their practices and the path they follow and he followed; he didn't want the surgery that saved him - why is no one calling out Christian Scientists and their beliefs, or Nez himself for not wanting the surgery?

3) he was a grown man, late 70's and in his health state or not, it's up to him, and that's abuse if you refuse his wants, again, rightly or wrongly, All his choice.

I totally hear what everyone is saying and complaining about this person as well as his choices or what he was allowed to choose; but its up to the individual no matter what folks think.

And yes I care about abuse and if there was, I'm totally behind what all are saying, BUT it's more abuse to deny one's personal choice and personal choice should not be discounted in any judgements, rightly or wrongly.

AND I'm for investigating this person and all who were involved in his best interests, btw. If no issues, then good, case closed.

Peace all, feel free to slam, I like the conversation. It applies to all of our lives.

Dan

1/17/2022 17:47:42

I think Circle Skied raises a good point, ie, its his life. At nearly 80 years old, I think I would prefer to go out the way Nez did... living his life. We talk a lot about "life extension" in the US, and doing things that extend the quantity of years... but not necessarily the quality.

Having a heart surgery of the type he did, will require some pretty extensive lifestyle changes for the promise of... what exactly? 5? 10? more years at the very best? And, if Nez decided that it wasn't worth giving up eating steak, drinking, smoking, and living the life he wanted... then why call that out.

As a hypothetical, as it stands now, I'm not sure that I would want to change my whole life (at an advanced age) for a few more years of deteriorating health. He lived an amazing life. He beat the average life expectancy. Let the guy rest.

mascodagama

1/19/2022 14:59:29

Nez had the means to live any life he wanted. He chose to spend his last couple of years with a superfan who was kinda also a personal assistant or whatever. I honestly can't count the number of interviews where he said literally "I am rich and I am going to do what I want." He was an individual, with unusual beliefs and a unique talent. Stop throwing stones and appreciate what he left.

MJM

1/25/2022 00:44:59

Between this article and the Facebook post from Rodney Crowell, it's just very sad the way Nez ended up, as far as his emotional state. We look up to our idols for certain, but even more so, we worry more about them as they live longer. I had thought that Nez put the intoxicants behind him and would stay off the road and chalk up the 2019 tour dates as being the "Farewell Tour."