Profession: Singer and Songwriter

Biography: Born in the Bedford–Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, and raised in a broken home, Harry dropped out of school as a teenager and moved to Los Angeles. He found work programming computers for a bank at night, and pursued a singing career by day. He possessed a wide vocal range, and fell into songwriting when improvising forgotten lyrics.

After working on demo recordings and releasing a few singles, and having The Monkees cover his song "Cuddly Toy", he signed a major label contract with RCA, and resigned from the bank. His early RCA albums were critical, if not commercial, successes, and caught the ear of Beatles press agent Derek Taylor. Soon after, Paul McCartney and John Lennon endorsed his work, and his career took off.

He did not enjoy performing, and never toured. Part of his recording process involved multi-tracking his own voice in a choral fashion, which could not be replicated on stage.

His biggest hit singles, both of which won Grammy Awards, were cover versions - Fred Neil's "Everbody's Talkin'" (from the film Midnight Cowboy) and Badfinger's "Without You" (on his career defining album Nilsson Schmilsson). As a songwriter, his biggest hit was by Three Dog Night covering "One".

The follow up work to his biggest success was decidedly less commercial, the album 'Son of Schmilsson' contained lyrics not suitable for broadcast, and then he made an orchestral album of torch song standards (A Touch of Schmilsson in the Night). His increased drink and drug usage began affecting him, and culminated with him working through severely injured vocal chords on his 'Pussycats' album, produced by John Lennon during his notorious 'lost weekend' in Los Angeles.

After Lennon's murder, Nilsson largely stopped making new music and became a gun control advocate. His musical output mostly concentrated on film soundtracks.

In 1976, he married for his third time, to Una O'Keefe, an Irish woman who was a student-waitress when they met at an ice cream parlor in New York City in 1973. With her, he had 6 of his 7 children.

Bankruptcy and a 1993 heart attack motivated him to get back to recording in order to support his family. He was working on an album when a second heart attack in 1994 ended his life. 25 years later, his finished vocals were given some backing music, and the album "Losst and Founnd" was released.

For the Love of Harry: Everybody Sings Nilsson, a tribute album featuring Nilsson's songs performed by Ringo Starr and Stevie Nicks, Brian Wilson, Aimee Mann, Randy Newman, Jimmy Webb, and others, was released in 1995, with proceeds benefiting the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence.

A documentary film," Who Is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talkin' About Him)?" was produced in 2006.

Born: June 15, 1941
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, USA

Generation: Silent Generation
Chinese Zodiac: Snake
Star Sign: Gemini

Died: January 15, 1994 (aged 52)
Cause of Death: Heart attack

Career Highlights

  • 1972-02-19 American singer Harry Nilsson's single "Without You" begins a 4 week run at the top of the charts. [The song was originally written and performed by the English band Badfinger in 1970, and would reach the top ten again with Mariah Carey's 1994 cover.]
  • 1974-08-19 RCA records releases "Pussy Cats", the tenth album by American singer Harry Nilsson in the US; album was produced by John Lennon and Nilsson worked through a serious vocal chord injury which diminished his acclaimed range
  • 1992-09-04 Singer Harry Nilsson makes a rare (and final) concert appearance, joining Ringo and His All-Starr Band for a version of his "Without You" at Caesar’s Palace. Las Vegas, Nevada
  • 2010-09-17 Documentary film "Who Is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talkin' About Him)?" released theatrically

Personal Life

  • 1964-10-24 Aspiring American songwriter Harry Nilsson (23) weds Sandi McTaggart (21) in Los Angeles, California; divorce in 1967
  • 1967-04-06 American singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson (25) divorces Sandi McTaggart (23) in Los Angeles, California, after 2-1/2 years of marriage
  • 1969-12-31 American singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson (28) weds second wife Diane Clatworthy (22) in Las Vegas, Nevada: divorce in 1974
  • 1976-06-23 American singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson (34) divorces 2nd wife Diane Clatworthy (28), after 6-1/2 years of marriage
  • 1976-08-12 American singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson (35) weds (for third, and final time) Ireland's Una O'Keeffe (22) at the Airport Marriott Hotel in Los Angeles, California; Ringo Starr serves as best man

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