Michael Nesmith, one of the original members of The Monkees, has died with loved ones at the age of 78, his family confirmed on Friday.
While Nesmith's exact cause of death has not yet been confirmed, his family stated that he died of natural causes.
In a statement, they said: "With infinite love, we announce that Michael Nesmith died peacefully of natural causes this morning at his home surrounded by his family."
It comes after a number of health concerns for the singer, who was scheduled to tour with last surviving band member Micky Dolen for her tour "The Monkees Present: The Mike & Micky Show" in 2018, but was forced to postpone the last four tour dates. after Michael was hospitalized.
In June of that year, it was confirmed that the singer had undergone quadruple bypass heart surgery to treat congestive heart failure.
In July, however, Michael claimed he was "80 percent recovered."
He said at the time, “I used the words 'heart attack' for a while. But I've now been told I didn't have any. It was congestive heart failure. It took me four weeks to climb out of it. If someone walks up to you on the street and offers you (bypass surgery) for free, refuse them. It hurts.
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“It's this completely different community of the dead and the near-dead. It's scary. There is also a lot of pain involved and I didn't like that. You cannot cough and you cannot walk and you cannot get up. And you are addicted to those annoying gadgets. I didn't know where I was for a couple of weeks.
“I think, frankly, I'm back to 80 percent. I feel like I'm putting on exponentially every day, or at least five or six percent at a time. I see the light at the end of the tunnel. My thinking is clear and I know who I am and where I am. It all feels like a natural healing process. "
The sad news comes after the death of Monkees band member Peter Tork, who died in 2019 at the age of 77.
At that time, Tork's death was confirmed on the bands facebook with a message that read: “Our beloved Peter died peacefully today at the age of 77. His talent, charm and humor were undeniable and he had the rare honor of bringing joy and music to several generations. Our thoughts and prayers go with his family, friends and fans around the world. "
His bandmate Davy Jones also died in 2012.
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