(CNN)For a instrumentalist whose commercialized highest came much than 50 years ago, Michael Nesmith had a rousing swan song.
The vocalist and guitarist for the Monkees died Friday of bosom failure astatine his location successful California. He was 78.
Only weeks earlier, Nesmith was performing earlier thousands of adoring fans connected a Monkees farewell circuit that appeared to springiness him caller spot successful the last months of his life.
"He started to spot it (the Monkees' music) much done the eyes of his fans, of however they loved it. And that was bringing him a batch of joyousness astatine the extremity of his life," said Nesmith's manager Andrew Sandoval, in an interrogation with Variety aft his death.
"Their joyousness was coming backmost connected him. He yet truly felt that, and it lit him up, you know?"
The Monkees -- Nesmith, drummer Micky Dolenz, vocalist Davy Jones and keyboardist and bassist Peter Tork -- were conceived successful 1965 for a TV amusement and produced a drawstring of hits implicit the adjacent respective years, including "Last Train to Clarksville" and "I'm a Believer," written by Neil Diamond.
They divided up successful 1970 but reunited disconnected and connected afterward for recordings and tours. Jones died successful 2012, followed by Tork successful 2019.
Sandoval said Nesmith and Dolenz, the different surviving Monkees member, had planned to bash a farewell circuit successful 2020 but postponed it due to the fact that of Covid-19. When they began circuit preparations this fall, Sandoval said, Nesmith was frail -- helium had battled bosom problems for years -- and missed the archetypal respective days of rehearsals.
"He was fearful that helium couldn't marque it — and we were each fearful whether we would get sick and dice from Covid connected this tour," Sandoval told Variety. "But yet it was his tendency to privation to bash it that pushed myself and Micky and the set and the unit to spell done with it, due to the fact that we knew we didn't person that overmuch clip with him — that we couldn't postpone it again."
When the circuit kicked disconnected successful September, Nesmith could lone execute sitting down, Sandoval said. Then helium was capable to basal with the assistance of a cane. And then, astir 2 oregon 3 weeks into the tour, helium began lasting for the full magnitude of astir each show.
"So helium gained a batch of spot from the assemblage and from performing," Sandoval said. "Lockdown had been pugnacious connected him, due to the fact that helium couldn't spell galore places, and helium had benignant of atrophied. So determination was a existent renewal with the tour. It was a large solemnisation for him, to bash what helium had done successful the past, and bash it truly well."
The Monkees' tour wrapped connected November 14 successful Los Angeles. There were plans for the surviving set members to execute a fewer constitution dates and connected an oldies cruise adjacent year, but Sandoval said they were scrapped erstwhile Nesmith's wellness declined.
"His last amusement astatine the Greek Theatre was earlier 5,000 people, and it was joy. So it was a precise palmy tour," helium added. "He truly went retired connected top, arsenic acold arsenic that's concerned.
"And for the radical who got to commune with them 1 past time, I deliberation it's going to beryllium a beauteous memory."
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