109-644: Sagebrush Symphony is the nineteenth album by American singer-songwriter Michael Martin Murphey , his second live album since his 1979 live/studio album Peaks, Valleys, Honkytonks and Alleys, and his first album with a symphony orchestra. Recorded live with the San Antonio Symphony Orchestra, this ambitious album, which presents cowboy songs and poems in a symphonic setting, contains a selection of Murphey's most popular songs, as well as traditional cowboy music. Murphey turns in "an impassioned performance" and
218-675: A band that developed a significant following in the Dallas area. After graduating from W. H. Adamson High School in Oak Cliff , Murphey studied Greek at the University of North Texas . As a member of the institution's Folk Music Club , he befriended Steven Fromholz , Ray Wylie Hubbard , Shiva's Headband fiddler Spencer Perskin and Armadillo World Headquarters co-founder Eddie Wilson . Murphey then moved to California, where he studied creative writing and majored in medieval history and literature at
327-674: A child coming of age in Texas . As early as 1985, Murphey performed with the New Mexico Symphony in a show called A Night in the American West , which led to many subsequent performances with American and Canadian symphonies, including the National Symphony Orchestra of Washington, D.C. These western shows, and the songs he was writing and recording at the time, presaged a major change in Murphey's career. In 1990, he released
436-601: A custom-built Gretsch 12-string electric guitar with the Monkees and afterwards. In 1974, Nesmith founded Pacific Arts , a multimedia production and distribution company, through which he helped pioneer the music video format, winning the first Grammy Award for Video of the Year for his hour-long comedy/variety program, Elephant Parts (1981). He created one of the first American television programs dedicated to music videos, PopClips , which aired on Nickelodeon in 1980, and
545-569: A few of Nesmith's original songs. Nesmith began to write more songs and poetry, then he moved to Los Angeles and began singing in folk clubs around the city. He served as the "Hootmaster" for the Monday night hootenanny at The Troubadour , a West Hollywood nightclub that featured new artists. Randy Sparks from the New Christy Minstrels offered Nesmith a publishing deal for his songs. Nesmith began his recording career in 1963 by releasing
654-433: A five-date tour of California with a revamped version of The First National Band, including a date at The Troubadour , where he performed before The Monkees. On February 20, a tour was announced as "The Monkees Present: The Mike and Micky Show", their first tour as a duo. The pair would play Monkees music and promote the tour under the Monkees banner, but Nesmith stated, "there's no pretense there about Micky and I [sic] being
763-513: A follow-up tour, "An Evening with the Monkees", to begin in early 2020. The tour was delayed, however, due the COVID-19 pandemic . It was announced by Nesmith and Dolenz on May 4, 2021, that the Monkees would disband following a farewell tour. Dubbed "The Monkees Farewell Tour", the tour consisted of over 40 dates in the United States from September to November. However, because of restrictions due to
872-533: A labor of not only love but also scholarship; it raises a cult musical genre to the level of mainstream art. Cowboy Songs went on to achieve Gold status, the first western album to do so since Marty Robbins' No. 1 Cowboy in 1980. In 1991, Murphey followed up with two additional albums of cowboy songs. His innovative concept album, Cowboy Christmas: Cowboy Songs II , contained versions of traditional and original western Christmas songs , including "The Christmas Trail", "The Cowboy Christmas Ball", and "Two-Step 'Round
981-461: A lawsuit that went to jury trial in federal court in Los Angeles. On February 3, 1999, a jury awarded Nesmith and his company Pacific Arts $ 48.875 million in compensatory and punitive damages , prompting his widely quoted comment, "It's like finding your grandmother stealing your stereo. You're happy to get your stereo back, but it's sad to find out your grandmother is a thief." Six months after
1090-426: A long, long time." Michael Nesmith Robert Michael Nesmith (December 30, 1942 – December 10, 2021) was an American musician, songwriter, and actor. He was best known as a member of the Monkees and co-star of their TV series of the same name (1966–1968). His songwriting credits with the Monkees include " Mary, Mary ", " The Girl I Knew Somewhere ", " Tapioca Tundra ", " Circle Sky " and " Listen to
1199-605: A number of LPs for his label, and had a moderate worldwide hit in 1977 with his song " Rio ", the single taken from the album From a Radio Engine to the Photon Wing . In 1979, Nesmith released the single Cruisin' , also known as "Lucy and Ramona and Sunset Sam", which was popular on AOR rock stations and in New Zealand. In 1983, Nesmith produced the music video for the Lionel Richie single " All Night Long ". In 1987, he produced
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#17330862971641308-513: A prominent musical voice for the Western horseman, rancher, and cowboy. Michael Martin Murphey was born on March 14, 1945, to Pink Lavary Murphey and Lois (née Corbett) Murphey, in the Oak Cliff section of Dallas, Texas , where he grew up. He has a brother, Mark, who is three years younger. When he was 6 years old, he started riding horses on his grandfather's and uncle's ranches. Years later he would remember sleeping on his grandfather's porch under
1417-615: A return to his bluegrass musical roots. Murphey's love of Bluegrass music dates back to when he sang lead vocals with the Earl Scruggs Band. Over the years, his songs have been recorded by Bluegrass artists such as Flatt and Scruggs , Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver, the Country Gentlemen , and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band . On Buckaroo Bluegrass, Murphey offers new versions of his famous Bluegrass songs, such as "Carolina in
1526-453: A sentimental song about the ghosts of a woman and her horse. As a boy, he first heard from his grandfather the story of a ghost horse rescuing people in the desert. Years later, Murphey had a dream about this ghost horse and wrote the words and music the same day with songwriter Larry Cansler. In the summer of 1975, "Wildfire" became a chart-topping hit, reaching No. 2 in Cash Box and No. 3 on
1635-565: A single on the Highness label. He followed this in 1965 with a one-off single released on Edan Records followed by two more recorded singles; one was titled "The New Recruit" under the name "Michael Blessing", released on Colpix Records , coincidentally also the label of Davy Jones , though they did not meet until the Monkees formed. Barry Freedman told him about upcoming auditions for a new TV series called The Monkees . In October 1965, Nesmith's confident, carefree and laid-back manner impressed
1744-456: A solo artist performing throughout the West at music festivals, cowboy gatherings, historical theaters, and trail rides. Michael's son, Ryan , produced the album, and added acoustic guitar and vocals. In February 2010, Murphey released a follow-up album, Buckaroo Blue Grass II – Riding Song , which follows the production approach of the first album. In May 2011, Murphey gave a benefit concert at
1853-525: A songwriter with Linda Hargrove , resulting in the tune " I've Never Loved Anyone More ", a hit for Lynn Anderson and recorded by many others, as well as the songs "Winonah" and "If You Will Walk With Me", both of which were recorded by Hargrove. Of these songs, only "Winonah" was recorded by Nesmith himself. During this same period, Nesmith started his multimedia company Pacific Arts, which initially put out audio records, eight-track tapes, and cassettes, followed in 1981 with "video records". Nesmith recorded
1962-461: A successful decade of recording with the album Land of Enchantment , which contained "Never Givin' Up on Love", "Got to Pay the Fiddler", "Route 66", and "Land of Enchantment", which became New Mexico's state ballad. Despite the impressive critical and commercial success he achieved throughout the 1980s, Murphey's authentic creativity began to gravitate towards the Western music that appealed to him as
2071-459: A successful music career that has spanned four decades and included such musical genres as folk, country, rock, popular, western, and cowboy music. As a singer, songwriter, and producer, he has contributed some of the best-loved songs of his generation. His songs have been recorded by Johnny Cash , Kenny Rogers , John Denver , Cher , Lyle Lovett , Flatt and Scruggs , Claire Hamill , Hoyt Axton , Roger Miller , Bobbie Gentry, Michael Nesmith, and
2180-501: A suite at the Beverly Hills Hotel , each actor received a $ 250k royalties check, yet Nesmith still threatened to quit. Moelis rebuked him, "You'd better read your contract". Nesmith defiantly punched a hole in the wall, declaring to Moelis, "That could have been your face, motherfucker!" Weeks later, due to a breach of (verbal) agreement over the next single release, which was promised to Nesmith by Rafelson and Schneider, Nesmith led
2289-399: A week later and remaining at No. 2 all through the entire 1967 Summer of Love . For the remaining five Monkees LPs, ironically, the original Kirshner formula of hired studio musicians and songwriters again became the norm, although Nesmith, Tork, Dolenz and Jones contributed about 50 percent of the original compositions, Nesmith the majority of those. By the end of the Monkees run, Nesmith
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#17330862971642398-446: A year." He remained in a financial bind until 1980, when he received his inheritance from his mother's estate. In a 1980 interview with Playboy , he said of that time: "I had to start telling little tales to the tax man while they were putting tags on the furniture." Nesmith did not participate in the Monkees' 20th anniversary reunion, due to contractual obligations with his production company, but he did appear during an encore with
2507-438: Is known as Michael Martin Murphey. In 1982, Murphey signed with Liberty Records and produced two original albums, Michael Martin Murphey and The Heart Never Lies , as well as a compilation of re-recorded versions of his A&M, Epic, and Liberty hits called The Best of Michael Martin Murphey . In the early 1980s, Murphey had significant commercial success with hits like "Still Taking Chances", "Disenchanted", "Don't Count
2616-473: Is the co-founder of the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering . Murphey met Mitchell there in 1986, the first such event he had ever attended. He later described the transforming event as "a religious experience ... I'd been collecting cowboy music and performing it among my friends. But when I saw a lot of other guys like me and also women performing this music and enjoying each other's company, it
2725-698: The Billboard Hot 100 , as well as No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart, giving Murphey a new level of commercial success and exposure. It immediately sold over one million copies and was awarded a gold disc by the R.I.A.A. in July 1975. It eventually surpassed two million in US sales and was awarded a platinum disc by the R.I.A.A. in September 2001. The song's harmonies were supplied by Jeff Hanna and Jimmy Ibbotson from
2834-716: The American Film Institute . In 1992, Nesmith undertook a concert tour of North America to promote the first CD release of his RCA solo albums (although he included the song "Rio" from the album From a Radio Engine to the Photon Wing ). The concert tour ended at the Britt Festival in Oregon. A video and CD, both entitled Live at the Britt Festival , were released capturing the 1992 concert. Nesmith continued to record and release his own music. His final album, Rays ,
2943-591: The American Indian Movement in the early 1970s. In 1971, Murphey was signed to A&M Records by Bob Johnston, who discovered him in a Dallas club, the Rubaiyat. Johnston had produced some of the country's most popular recording artists, including Bob Dylan , Johnny Cash , and Simon and Garfunkel . In 1972, Johnston produced Murphey's first album Geronimo's Cadillac in Nashville, Tennessee . The sound of
3052-510: The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band , and the piano introduction and ending coda played by jazz pianist Jac Murphy. The introduction is based on a piece by the Russian classical composer Alexander Scriabin . During the late 1970s, he recorded four albums: Swans Against the Sun (1975), Flowing Free Forever (1976), Lone Wolf (1978), and Peaks, Valleys, Honky Tonks & Alleys (1979). The album Swans Against
3161-858: The San Antonio Symphony Orchestra , Herb Jeffries, and the Sons of the San Joaquin. In 1997, he released the album The Horse Legends , a musical tribute to this majestic animal. The album included several new Murphey songs, a new version of "Wildfire", and covers of some well-known songs, such as Dan Fogelberg 's " Run for the Roses " and Gordon Lightfoot 's "The Pony Man". In 1998, Murphey left Warner Bros. Records and started his own record label, WestFest/Real West Productions. That year, he released Cowboy Songs Four , which contained both traditional and original cowboy songs, including "Utah Carroll", "Little Joe,
3270-525: The U.S. Air Force in 1960 before graduating. He completed basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio , was trained as an aircraft mechanic at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls , Texas, and was permanently stationed at Clinton-Sherman Air Force Base near Burns Flat, Oklahoma . He obtained a GED certificate and was honorably discharged in 1962. After Nesmith's tour of duty in
3379-539: The University of California, Los Angeles . He signed a publishing contract with the Sparrow Music company, and soon he made a name for himself in the Los Angeles folk music scene. By 1964, he formed a musical group with an old Texas friend, Michael Nesmith , John London, and John Raines, under the name the Trinity River Boys. Murphey's first big break came through his friend Michael Nesmith, who had become part of
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3488-470: The steel guitar . The tour was captured on a live album, Movies Of The Mind . In 2014, he guest-starred in season four, episode nine, of the IFC comedy series Portlandia in the fictitious role of the father of the mayor of Portland, Oregon. In 2017, Nesmith released a memoir and companion "soundtrack" album titled Infinite Tuesday: An Autobiographical Riff . In 2018, he announced that he would be doing
3597-537: The 1990s, Nesmith, as trustee and president of the Gihon Foundation, hosted the Council on Ideas, a gathering of intellectuals from different fields who were asked to identify the most important issues of their day and publish the result. The foundation ceased the program in 2000 and started a new program for the performing arts. Nesmith also spent a decade as a board of trustees member, nominating member and vice-chair of
3706-521: The Air Force, his mother and stepfather gave him a guitar for Christmas. Learning as he went, he played solo and in a series of working bands, performing folk , country , and occasionally rock and roll . He enrolled in San Antonio College , where he met John London and began a musical collaboration. They won the first San Antonio College talent award, performing a mixture of standard folk songs and
3815-600: The Band ". Additionally, his song " Different Drum " became a hit for the Stone Poneys featuring Linda Ronstadt . After leaving the Monkees in 1970, Nesmith continued his successful songwriting and performing career, first with the seminal country rock group the First National Band , with whom he had a top-40 hit, " Joanne " (1970). As a solo artist, he scored an international hit with the song " Rio " (1977). He often played
3924-470: The Christmas Tree". An accompanying video was later released of one of Murphey's Cowboy Christmas Ball concerts, which included many of these songs. Cowboy Songs III contained a mix of traditional and original cowboy songs, including a virtual duet with Marty Robbins, "Big Iron", which used an early Marty Robbins' vocal track. Cowboy Songs and its follow-up albums were so successful that they inspired
4033-549: The Farmers' Freedom Agriculture Alliance and scheduled a benefit—The Farmers' Freedom Concert—to protest unfair land acquisitions across the western states. Murphey's opposition to the political forces threatening the American family farmer and rancher transcends political party affiliation. "I can tell you," Murphey observed, "that politics—doesn't matter whether it's Democrats or Republicans—have been involved with big agribusiness for
4142-633: The John Wayne Family. Murphey was commended by the White House for his activities. Later that year, he released three DVDs detailing his love of the cowboy ways, life, and preservation of the American West traditions. The DVDs document his trail rides, cattle drives, and Cowboy Poetry gatherings. One of Murphey's Cowboy Christmas Ball concerts, recorded in Oklahoma City, was included as a fourth DVD in
4251-557: The Lauren family for nearly 30 years. "I go there to write songs from time to time", Murphey noted, "It's the most spectacular ranch in the Rockies." At David Lauren's request, Murphey performed "Vanishing Breed" for the couple's first dance. Murphey wrote the song at a cabin on the Lauren ranch in the 1980s. Murphey and his Rio Grande Band played nearly six hours for the Lauren and Bush families. In January 2012, Tall Grass & Cool Water became
4360-527: The Monkees "probably the worst record in the history of the world", partly due to rushed, shoddy studio engineering. The band took a hit to its artistic credibility when fans learned the four had not played all the instruments on the first two albums. But still sales continued to be profitable. Headquarters sold 2 million copies, down 2 million units from its predecessor, but still reached the No. 1 spot on Billboard, falling only to Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
4469-598: The Monkees . Murphey is the narrator of the short film Spirit of the Cowgirl at the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in Fort Worth, Texas Murphey was so pivotal to the foundation of progressive country that one of the many names for the genre, "Cosmic Cowboy music", was taken from one of Murphey's songs. Murphey played a major role in the resurrection of the cowboy song genre, recording and producing some of
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4578-421: The Monkees for their tours of the United States. Intermixing the Monkees concerts, Nesmith also launched solo tours of the U.S. Unlike his 1992 U.S. tour, which predominantly featured music from his RCA recordings, Nesmith stated that his 2013 tour would feature songs he considers "thematic, chronological and most often requested by fans". Chris Scruggs , grandson of Earl Scruggs , replaced the late Red Rhodes on
4687-400: The Monkees received a Hollywood Walk of Fame star. In 1995, Nesmith was again reunited with the Monkees to record their studio album (and first to feature all four since Head in 1968), titled Justus , released in 1996. He also wrote and directed a Monkees reunion television special, Hey, Hey, It's the Monkees . To support the reunion, Nesmith, Jones, Dolenz, and Tork briefly toured
4796-452: The Monkees second album, without the knowledge or consent of the four musician-actors, they came to be frustrated by their studio-manufactured "bubblegum" image. Within weeks of the release of More of the Monkees , Nesmith lobbied successfully with the group's creators, Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider, that the Monkees be allowed to play their instruments on future records. During a group meeting with Kirshner and Colgems lawyer Herb Moelis, in
4905-435: The Monkees, Nesmith stated, "I never really left. It is a part of my youth that is always active in my thoughts and part of my overall work as an artist. It stays in a special place." In 2016, Nesmith contributed to the Monkees' 50th anniversary album Good Times! . He additionally contributed a song, "I Know What I Know", and was reportedly "thrilled" at the outcome of the album. Despite not touring with Dolenz and Tork for
5014-514: The Monkees. We're not." The tour was cut short in June 2018, with four shows left unplayed, due to Nesmith having a "minor health issue"; Dolenz and he rescheduled the unplayed concerts plus adding several other including an Australian and New Zealand tour in 2019. After recovering from his health scare, Michael Nesmith and the First National Band Redux went on a tour of the U.S., with mostly
5123-470: The Native American rights movement, which used his song, "Geronimo's Cadillac", as an anthem. In 1986, he founded an annual festival, WestFest, celebrating western art and culture in an effort to preserve the traditions of the West. He has been a long-time supporter of the conservation movement, attempting to find a middle ground between ranchers and activists on opposite sides of environmental issues. In
5232-536: The Pines" reached the Top 10. In 1985, Murphey signed a new recording contract with Warner Bros. Records and continued his streak of successful recordings. In 1986, he released the album Tonight We Ride , which included " Rollin' Nowhere ", " Fiddlin' Man ", and "Santa Fe Cantina". In 1987, he released the album Americana , which included "Once Upon a Time", "My Darling Wherever You Are", and another number one country hit with
5341-602: The Pines", "Cherokee Fiddle", "Cowboy Logic", "What's Forever For", and "Wildfire". He followed this up in 2002 with Cowboy Classics: Playing Favorites II , which again included re-recorded versions of some of his best-loved cowboy songs. That same year, Murphey released Cowboy Christmas III , which contained a new original song "The Kill Pen", as well as original cowboy poetry written and recited by his daughter Karen. In 2004, Murphey released Live at Billy Bob's Texas , and in 2006, he released Heartland Cowboy: Cowboy Songs, Vol. 5 . Murphey has championed Western cowboy culture and
5450-620: The Pines", "Fiddlin' Man", "Lost River", and "What Am I Doing Hanging Around". Murphey also includes new Bluegrass versions of several of his classics, such as "Boy from the Country", "Dancing in the Meadow", and "Healing Spring". The album includes two new songs, "Close to the Land", the theme song of the PBS documentary television series America's Heartland, and "Lone Cowboy", a song that reflects Murphey's experiences as
5559-521: The Prairie Rose Chuckwagon Supper near Benton, Kansas to help save the cabin where Brewster Higley wrote the song " Home on the Range ", Kansas' state song. "He might have been living anywhere," Murphey noted, "but he was inspired by that place. This song gives focus to the heritage of the American West, to the prairie and its songs, poems and literature." Murphey made his first pilgrimage to
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#17330862971645668-514: The Rainy Days", "Will It Be Love by Morning", "Radio Land", " Maybe This Time ", and the number one hit " What's Forever For ", written by Rafe Van Hoy, which also crossed over to number three at AC Radio and number 19 on the Billboard Hot 100 Pop Singles Chart. In 1983, Murphey was voted Best New Male Vocalist of the Year by the Academy of Country Music . In 1985, his rerecorded version of "Carolina in
5777-573: The Sun produced his first country hits: "A Mansion on the Hill" and " Cherokee Fiddle ", which became a top ten hit for Johnny Lee . Murphey's friends, John Denver , Willie Nelson , Charlie Daniels , and Steve Weisberg appeared on the album. In 1981, Murphey made his first film appearance in Hard Country , which he co-wrote. To distinguish himself from actor Michael Murphy , the singer began using his middle name for film and music credits. To this day, he
5886-489: The UK in 1997. The UK tour was the last appearance of all four Monkees performing together. In 2012–2014, after Jones's death , Nesmith reunited with Dolenz and Tork to perform concerts throughout the United States. Backed with a seven-piece band that included Nesmith's son, Christian, the trio performed 27 songs from The Monkees discography (" Daydream Believer " was sung by the audience). When asked why he had decided to return to
5995-460: The Wrangler", and Murphey's "Song from Lonesome Dove". In 1999, he released Acoustic Christmas Carols: Cowboy Christmas II , which included Murphey's quiet renditions of traditional Christmas songs, and featured his son Ryan and daughter Laura. In 2001, Murphey released a compilation of some of his best-loved songs, Playing Favorites , which included rerecorded versions of such songs as "Carolina in
6104-457: The album Cowboy Songs . The album contained Murphey's versions of old cowboy songs from the public domain such as " Tumbling Tumbleweeds ", " The Old Chisholm Trail ", the beautiful " Spanish is the Loving Tongue ", the classic " The Streets of Laredo ", and his tip of the hat to Roy Rogers , " Happy Trails ". The album contained Murphey's own "Cowboy Logic". Murphey was reluctant to promote
6213-418: The album Michael Murphey that same year. Produced by Bob Johnston, the album included the orchestra anthem "Nobody's Gonna Tell Me How To Play My Music", and "Southwestern Pilgrimage". In 1975, Murphey released his seminal album, Blue Sky – Night Thunder , also produced by Bob Johnston. The album generated two hit singles: " Carolina in the Pines " and his Platinum-certified signature song " Wildfire ",
6322-464: The album reflects Murphey's love of country, folk, and blues music . Murphey's early gospel influences are also evident throughout the album. The title track was released as a single, and reached the Top 40 on the US pop charts . In addition to the title track, the album included "Boy from the Country", "What Am I Doin' Hangin' Around?", and "Michael Angelo's Blues". Rolling Stone magazine proclaimed, "On
6431-480: The album with a beautiful duet with Carin Mari, "Springtime in the Rockies". On September 4, 2011, Murphey performed at the wedding of long-time friend David Lauren and Lauren Bush , the niece of former President George W. Bush, at Ralph Lauren's Double RL Ranch near Ridgway, Colorado . The event was called "America's Royal Wedding". Murphey, who helped Ralph Lauren find the ranch they now call home, has been friends with
6540-503: The author of "London Homesick Blues". He performed a number of times at the Armadillo World Headquarters , and his photo was even used for the original cover of Jan Reid's book, The Improbable Rise of Redneck Rock . But Michael Murphey's musical vision was expanding beyond the confines of the outlaw country sound and moving toward a much more ambitious musical tapestry. In 1973, Murphey signed to Epic Records and released
6649-500: The cabin prior to the concert, where he performed the song. In June 2011, Murphey released Tall Grass & Cool Water , subtitled Cowboy Songs VI and Buckaroo Blue Grass III. The CD includes two classics from the Sons of the Pioneers , "Cool Water" and "Way Out There", as well as other Western classics such as "Texas Cowboy", "Santa Fe Trail", and "The James Gang Trilogy". Murphey closes out
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#17330862971646758-442: The charge in ousting musical supervisor Don Kirshner, effectively giving the four youths complete artistic and production control of their output, and the group finally worked as a true four-man rock group on 1967's Headquarters , despite Jones and Dolenz having limited instrumental skills, studio time being pricey and retakes costly. During the band's first independent press conference, Nesmith called their second album, More of
6867-635: The combination CD/DVD set. In December 2007, Murphey released "A Soldier's Christmas" based on a poem by Michael E. Marks , a soldier serving in Iraq . Marks sent the poem to Murphey, who was so moved by the poem he sought permission to set it to music, which he did. He started including the song in all his concerts, including his Cowboy Christmas Ball concerts, to long standing ovations after its performance, which prompted its release in December 2007. In February 2009, Murphey released Buckaroo Blue Grass , which marked
6976-575: The company that also released the Monkees' LPs. They had a modest hit with "I Feel Good (I Feel Bad)". Boomer Castleman went on to find success with his controversial song "Judy Mae" and as the writer and producer of the million selling novelty hit "Telephone Man" for singer Meri Wilson . In 1968, Murphey moved to Wrightwood , a village in the San Gabriel Mountains adjacent to the Mojave Desert of California to work on his songwriting. Based on
7085-551: The earliest pre-Monkees, Nesmith 45s, as well as numerous Monkees sessions, and had 45s produced by Nesmith for the Dot label in 1969. Ware wanted Nesmith to put together a band. Nesmith's interest hinged on noted pedal steel player Orville "Red" Rhodes ; their musical partnership continued until Rhodes's death in 1995. The new band was christened Michael Nesmith and the First National Band and recorded three albums for RCA Records ,
7194-408: The finale, when he revealed his identity to all. "The question I am most often asked is 'how does it feel to be up with the guys after all this time?' Well, it's a mixture of feelings and all of them are good. But the one that comes to mind is the feeling of profound gratitude." In 1989, Nesmith reunited with the other members of the Monkees, Micky Dolenz , Peter Tork , and Davy Jones . Prior to
7303-465: The first Grammy Award presented for (long-form) Music Video in 1982 for his hour-long Elephant Parts . He also had a short-lived series (1984-5) on NBC inspired by the video called Michael Nesmith in Television Parts . Television Parts included many other artists who were unknown at the time, but went on to become major stars in their own right: Jay Leno , Jerry Seinfeld , Garry Shandling , Whoopi Goldberg , and Arsenio Hall . The concept of
7412-431: The first album of cowboy music to achieve gold status since Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs by Marty Robbins in 1959. He has recorded the hit singles " Wildfire ", " Carolina in the Pines ", " What's Forever For ", " A Long Line of Love ", " What She Wants ", " Don't Count the Rainy Days ", and " Maybe This Time ". Murphey is also the author of New Mexico 's state ballad, "The Land of Enchantment". Murphey has become
7521-452: The first two issued in 1970 and the third released in 1971. Nesmith's First National Band is now considered a pioneer of country-rock music. Nesmith wrote most of the songs for the band and he is considered one of the trailblazers of country rock . He also had moderate commercial success with the First National Band. Their second single, " Joanne ", hit number 21 on the Billboard chart, number 17 on Cashbox, and number four in Canada, with
7630-781: The follow-up "Silver Moon" making number 42 Billboard , number 28 Cashbox, and number 13 in Canada. Two more singles charted ("Nevada Fighter" made number 70 Billboard , number 73 Cashbox, and number 67 Canada, and "Propinquity" reached number 95 Cashbox), and the first two LPs charted in the lower regions of the Billboard album chart. No clear answer has ever been given for the band's breakup. Nesmith followed up with The Second National Band, which consisted of Nesmith (vocals and guitar), Michael Cohen (keyboards and Moog ), Johnny Meeks (of The Strangers ) (bass), jazzer Jack Ranelli (drums), and Orville Rhodes (pedal steel), as well as an appearance by singer, musician, and songwriter José Feliciano on congas. The album, Tantamount to Treason Vol. 1 ,
7739-406: The formation of Warner Western , a new subsidiary label of Warner Bros. Records devoted to western music and cowboy poetry. In 1992, Warner Western issued albums by Don Edwards , Waddie Mitchell, and the Sons of the San Joaquin . All three records were produced by Murphey. In 1995, Murphey further demonstrated his musical ambitions with the concept album Sagebrush Symphony , recorded live with
7848-522: The inclusion of guest artists Sons of the San Joaquin , Ric Orozco, Herb Jeffries, and Robert Mirabal "adds to the musical diversity and richness of the album." Music Production Michael Martin Murphey Michael Martin Murphey (born March 14, 1945) is an American singer-songwriter. He was one of the founding artists of progressive country . A multiple Grammy nominee, Murphey has six gold albums, including Cowboy Songs ,
7957-450: The majority of the Monkees' 50th anniversary reunion in 2016, Nesmith did twice fill in for the ailing Peter Tork and appeared for the final show of the tour, which featured the three surviving band members (the last show to do so). In 2018, Nesmith and Dolenz toured together as a duo for the first time under the banner "The Monkees Present: The Mike and Micky Show". The tour was cut short four dates out due to Nesmith having health issues (he
8066-477: The marriage ended in divorce in 2011. When the Monkees' TV series ended in 1968, Nesmith enrolled part-time at the University of California, Los Angeles , where he studied American history and music history . In 1973, Nesmith founded the Countryside Records label with Jac Holzman , the founder of Elektra Records . In 1974, Nesmith started Pacific Arts Records and released what he called "a book with
8175-570: The mid 1980s. His " Different Drum " and "Some of Shelly's Blues" were later recorded by Linda Ronstadt and the Stone Poneys in 1967 and 1968, respectively. "Pretty Little Princess", written in 1965, was recorded by Frankie Laine and released as a single in 1968 on ABC Records . Later, "Some of Shelly's Blues" and "Propinquity (I've Just Begun to Care)" were made popular by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band on their 1970 album Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy . From 1965 to early 1970, Nesmith, along with Micky Dolenz , Peter Tork , and Davy Jones ,
8284-730: The most successful cowboy music of the past forty years. His album Cowboy Songs inspired a whole series of albums. For his accomplishments in the Western and Cowboy Music field, Murphey received five awards from the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum , formerly known as the National Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City . Murphey has long been a champion of the western wilderness and wildlife, and has lent his support to various political causes associated with western culture and ideals. Early in his career, for example, he supported
8393-530: The music of country and folk artists such as Hank Williams , Bob Wills , and Woody Guthrie . In junior high school he began performing as an amateur, and later as a camp counselor at a summer camp called Sky Ranch. At the age of 17, he took his first "professional" music job, playing western songs around a campfire at a Texas ranch. By the early 1960s, Murphey was playing the clubs in Dallas, performing country music , folk music , and rock music. He won over Texas audiences with his charm and talent, and soon formed
8502-612: The music video for the Michael Jackson single " The Way You Make Me Feel ". During this time, Nesmith created a video clip for " Rio ", which helped spur Nesmith's creation of a television program called PopClips for the Nickelodeon cable network. In 1980, PopClips was sold to the Time Warner / Amex consortium. Time Warner/Amex developed PopClips into the MTV network. Nesmith won
8611-545: The number 1 album on the Top 20 Western Music Albums Chart of the Western Music Association. In July 2013, Murphey released Red River Drifter , his first album of all new original songs in 20 years. The album reached number three on the Billboard Top Bluegrass Albums chart. He was named among the top 50 Greatest Country & Western singers by American Cowboy magazine. Murphey has had
8720-566: The official kickoff of The Monkees '89 tour (on July 1 in Winnipeg, Manitoba , Canada) all four Monkees gathered in Los Angeles, California, making two live radio appearances ( KLOS -FM: The Mark and Brian Show on June 28 and KIIS Radio on June 30) to promote their reunion concert at the Universal Amphitheatre where they appeared together as a foursome live on stage on July 9. The following day, all four band members were in attendance as
8829-504: The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic , they were not able to play shows in Canada, the UK or Australia. The final date of the tour was held on November 14, 2021, at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. As he prepared for his exit from The Monkees, Nesmith was approached by John Ware of The Corvettes, a band that featured Nesmith's Texas band mate and close friend John London. London played on some of
8938-550: The past decade, Murphey has focused his political energies on the issue of private property rights—especially in the western and southwestern United States. In 2006, he released "The Ballad of Kit Laney" in support of the New Mexico rancher's fight with the United States Forest Service over water rights. Laney was imprisoned for assault after standing up to federal agents who seized his ranch in 2004. Murphey helped form
9047-500: The poor financial rewards and the Southern California music scene. In 1971, Murphey returned to Texas and played a pivotal role in launching the progressive country genre with a unique sound that combined his country, rock, and folk influences. It was during this period that Murphey co-wrote "Geronimo's Cadillac" with the lyricist Charles John Quarto, a song about Native American rights that later became an unofficial anthem for
9156-451: The popular television musical group, The Monkees . Nesmith asked Murphey to write them a song for the next Monkees album, and Murphey composed "What Am I Doing Hangin' Round". The album Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. sold over five million copies. Murphey formed the Lewis & Clarke Expedition with Boomer Castleman , and recorded one self-titled album for Colgems Records ,
9265-573: The position of executive secretary at Texas Bank and Trust. When Nesmith was 13, his mother invented the typewriter correction fluid later known commercially as Liquid Paper . Over the next 25 years, she built the Liquid Paper Corporation into an international company, which she sold to Gillette in 1979 for $ 47.5 million. She died a few months later at the age of 56. Nesmith attended Thomas Jefferson High School in Dallas, where he participated in choral and drama activities, but enlisted in
9374-480: The producers and he landed the role as the wool-hat-wearing guitar player "Mike" in the show, which required real-life musical talent for writing, instrument playing, singing, and performing in live concerts as part of the Monkees band. Nesmith's " Mary, Mary " was recorded by the Paul Butterfield Blues Band , the Monkees themselves on their second LP in 1967, and then reworked by rap group Run DMC in
9483-492: The project, but he eventually released "Cowboy Logic" as a single and it quickly became a hit. Soon after, the album caught on and sold much better than expected. Cowboy Songs earned widespread praise from country and folk music critics, such as Jack Hurst from the Chicago Tribune who wrote, "[This is] not only one of the finest albums of [the] year but also one of the finest of the last decade. Its 22 riveting cuts represent
9592-534: The same lineup and setlist as the southern California shows. In 2019, Nesmith toured in a two-piece configuration with pedal steel player Pete Finney, focusing on his 1972 album, And the Hits Just Keep on Comin' . This was the first time Nesmith had performed in this format since 1974 with Red Rhodes. Nesmith was also joined by special guests Ben Gibbard and Scott McCaughey on opening night in Seattle. Nesmith
9701-460: The show was to have comics render their stand-up routines into short comedy films much like the ones in Elephant Parts . Nesmith assembled writers Jack Handey , William Martin , John Levenstein, and Michael Kaplan, along with directors William Dear (who had directed Elephant Parts ) and Alan Myerson, as well as producer Ward Sylvester to create the show. The half-hour show ran for 5 episodes in
9810-606: The song "A Long Line of Love". That same album produced the hit single "A Face in the Crowd" with Holly Dunn , which was nominated for a Grammy Award . In 1988, Murphey released the album River of Time , which produced three hit singles that reached number three on the charts: Jesse Winchester 's "I'm Going to Miss You, Girl", his own "From the Word Go", and " Talkin' to the Wrong Man ", which featured his son Ryan. In 1989, Murphey closed out
9919-494: The stars, listening to the older man's stories and cowboy songs. He enjoyed being around these men of the land as they went about their work. These experiences made a deep impression on the young boy. During these early years, he developed a special love for cowboy songs and stories. He was also an avid reader, especially drawn to the books of Mark Twain and William Faulkner . As a youth, he enjoyed writing poetry and loved listening to his uncle's old 78 rpm records , particularly
10028-403: The strength of his first album alone, Michael Murphey is the best new songwriter in the country." In 1973, Murphey followed up with the album Cosmic Cowboy Souvenir , which continued the urban cowboy theme of the first album. The album included "Cosmic Cowboy, Pt. 1", "Alleys of Austin", and "Rolling Hills". Throughout this period, Murphey's band included Bob Livingston and Gary P. Nunn ,
10137-545: The success of his songs, he signed a contract with the Screen Gems company, the publishing arm of Columbia Pictures . Some of his songs were recorded by Flatt and Scruggs and Bobbie Gentry . Kenny Rogers and the First Edition recorded an entire album of Michael Murphey songs called The Ballad of Calico , about a Mojave Desert ghost town. Murphey wrote some additional songs for The Monkees, but he grew disillusioned with
10246-590: The summer of 1985 on NBC Thursday nights in prime time. Nesmith formed the Pacific Arts Corporation , Inc. in 1974 to manage and develop media projects. Pacific Arts Video became a pioneer in the home video market, producing and distributing a wide variety of videotaped programs, although the company eventually ceased operations after an acrimonious contract dispute with PBS over home video licensing rights and payments for several series, including Ken Burns ' The Civil War . The dispute escalated into
10355-408: The three other Monkees at the Greek Theatre on September 7, 1986. In a 1987 interview for Nick Rocks , Nesmith stated, "When Peter called up and said 'we're going to go out, do you want to go?' I was booked. But, if you get to L.A., I'll play." Nesmith next joined his fellow Monkees for the 1986 "Monkees Christmas Medley" video for MTV appearing throughout dressed/disguised as Santa Claus until
10464-611: The verdict, a settlement was reached with the amount paid to Pacific Arts and Nesmith kept confidential. Nesmith's most recent Pacific Arts project was Videoranch 3D, a virtual environment on the internet that hosted live performances at various virtual venues inside the ranch. He performed live inside Videoranch 3D on May 25, 2009. Nesmith was the executive producer for the films Repo Man , Tapeheads , and Timerider: The Adventure of Lyle Swann , as well as his own solo recording and film projects. In 1998, Nesmith published his first novel, The Long Sandy Hair of Neftoon Zamora . It
10573-471: The wild diversity of New Mexico, his home for the past 10 years." During the 1990s, in a further effort to preserve the traditions of the West, Murphey led a group of performers—including cowboy poet Waddie Mitchell and western music historian and troubadour Don Edwards — in a series of improvisational concerts called Cowboy Logic , which toured throughout the United States, including such unlikely locations as New York City and Las Vegas . Waddy Mitchell
10682-549: The wilderness. In 1986 he founded WestFest, an annual music festival held at Copper Mountain , Colorado that celebrates western art and culture. Molly Carpenter, writing in the Richmond Times-Dispatch , noted, "Murphey's love for the American West clearly comes through in his songs, painted with vivid images of the rugged mountains and vast deserts of southwest landscapes, all evidence of his travels from his native Texas to California's Mojave Desert, Colorado's Rockies and
10791-470: Was a commercial and critical disaster. Nesmith then recorded And the Hits Just Keep on Comin' , featuring only him on guitar and Red Rhodes on pedal steel. Nesmith then became more heavily involved in producing, working on Iain Matthews 's album Valley Hi and Bert Jansch 's L.A. Turnaround . Nesmith was given a label of his own, Countryside, through Elektra Records, as Elektra Records 's Jac Holzman
10900-459: Was a fan of Nesmith's. It featured a number of artists produced by Nesmith, including Garland Frady and Red Rhodes. The staff band at Countryside also helped Nesmith on his next, and last, RCA Victor album, Pretty Much Your Standard Ranch Stash . Countryside folded when David Geffen replaced Holzman, as Countryside was unnecessary in Geffen's eyes. In the mid-1970s, Nesmith briefly collaborated as
11009-405: Was a member of the television pop-rock band the Monkees , created for the television situation comedy of the same name . Nesmith won his role largely by appearing nonchalant when he auditioned. He rode his motorcycle to the audition, and wore a wool hat to keep his hair out of his eyes; producers Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider remembered the "wool hat guy" and called Nesmith back. Once he
11118-462: Was cast, Screen Gems bought his songs so they could be used in the show. Many of the songs Nesmith wrote for the Monkees, such as " The Girl I Knew Somewhere ", " Mary, Mary ", and " Listen to the Band " became minor hits. One song he wrote, "You Just May Be the One", is in mixed meter, interspersing 5/4 bars into an otherwise 4/4 structure. Even before Colgems and Don Kirshner 's surreptitious release of
11227-445: Was developed originally as an online project and was later published as a hardcover book by St Martin's Press. Nesmith's second novel, The America Gene , was released in July 2009 as an online download from Videoranch.com. In the early 1980s, Nesmith teamed with satirist P. J. O'Rourke to ride his vehicle Timerider in the annual Baja 1000 off-road race. This is chronicled in O'Rourke's 2009 book Driving Like Crazy . During
11336-421: Was flown back home and proceeded to have quadruple bypass surgery ). He contributed two songs to the Monkees' 13th studio album, Christmas Party (the group's first Christmas album), released on October 12, 2018. In 2019, Nesmith and Dolenz reunited again to make up the cancelled dates of the tour and adding several more dates, including a planned tour of Australia and New Zealand. Nesmith and Dolenz announced
11445-562: Was married three times and had four children. He met his first wife, Phyllis Ann Barbour, in 1964, while at San Antonio College. Together, they had three children: Christian , born in 1965; Jonathan, born in 1968; and Jessica, born in 1970. Nesmith and Barbour divorced in 1972. Nesmith also had a son, Jason, born in August 1968 to Nurit Wilde , whom he met while working on The Monkees . In 1976, he married his second wife, Kathryn Bild. In 2000, he married his third wife, Victoria Kennedy, but
11554-406: Was released in 2006. In 2011, he returned to producing, working with blues singer and guitarist Carolyn Wonderland . Nesmith produced Wonderland's version of Robert Johnson 's "I Believe I'll Dust My Broom" on her album Peace Meal . Wonderland married writer-comedian A. Whitney Brown on March 4, 2011, in a ceremony officiated by Nesmith. In 2012, Nesmith briefly toured Europe prior to rejoining
11663-654: Was soon after approached to help develop the MTV network, though he declined. Nesmith was also an executive producer of the film Repo Man (1984). Nesmith was born in Houston, Texas , on December 30, 1942. He was an only child; his parents, Warren and Bette Nesmith (née McMurray), divorced when he was four. His mother married Robert Graham in 1962, and they remained married until 1975. Nesmith and his mother moved to Dallas to be closer to her family. She took temporary jobs ranging from clerical work to graphic design, eventually attaining
11772-520: Was the most important thing that had happened to me in years in my musical life." On May 22, 2007, he made a rare appearance in New York City to perform "Wildfire" on the Late Show with David Letterman . The song had become one of Letterman's favorites and was included regularly on the show. That same month, Murphey organized and performed for John Wayne's 100th Birthday Celebration, with the approval of
11881-545: Was withholding many of his original song ideas from Monkees albums, planning to release them in his post-Monkees solo career. Nesmith's last contractual Monkees commitment was a commercial for Kool-Aid and Nerf balls in April 1970 (fittingly, the spot ends with Nesmith frowning and saying, "Enerf's enerf!"). As the band's sales declined, Nesmith asked to be released from his contract, despite it costing him: "I had three years left ... at $ 150,000 [equivalent to $ 1.16 million in 2022]
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