Michael Nesmith, the guitar-playing singer-songwriter of The Monkees, has died.

Nesmith, 78, died on Friday from natural causes, Rolling Stone quoted his family as saying.

“With Infinite Love we announce that Michael Nesmith has passed away this morning in his home, surrounded by family, peacefully and of natural causes,” a statement from his family reads. “We ask that you respect our privacy at this time and we thank you for the love and light that all of you have shown him and us.”

Nesmith was one of the original members of the pop and rock band that took over the music world between 1966 and 1970.

Nesmith left the group in 1970 to focus on his own solo project.

However, he associated with The Monkees in reunion albums and tours in the decades that followed.

Nesmith performed in Chicago for the Monkees’ farewell tour with his old bandmate Micky Dolenz in November.

Nesmith wrote the lyrics of many hit songs, including “Mary, Mary,” “Circle Sky,” “Listen to the Band,” and “The Girl I Knew Somewhere.”

In 2018, he wrote a memoir titled “Infinite Tuesday: An Autobiographical Riff.”

Source: RTT Music News