In a career that has endured for almost 50 years, Michael Nesmith has made his mark on popular culture as a songwriter, performer, author, film-producer and actor. In the 1960s Nesmith found fame as one quarter of The Monkees. As a songwriter he has written music for such performers as Linda Rondstadt and had his songs covered by artists ranging from Run DMC to Andy Williams. A successful film producer, his name has appeared on the credits of such pictures as the cult-classic Repo Man and the Tim Robbins movie Tapeheads. In 1980 Nesmith was one of the men behind the launch of the revolutionary television channel MTV.