Harry Nilsson Biography (1941-1994)

Full name, Harry Edward Nilsson III; born June 15, 1941, in Brooklyn, NY; died of a heart attack, January 15, 1994, in Agoura Hills, CA; married, wife's name Oona; children: six. Career: Singer, songwriter, composer, recording artist, and actor. Cal-Ops. Security Pacific First National Bank, Van Nuys, CA, in charge of computer center. Awards, Honors: Grammy Award, bestmale pop vocal performance, National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences,1969, for "Everybody's Talkin';" Thomas Alva Edison Award, album of the year, 1971, for Nilsson Schmilsson; Grammy Award, best male vocal, 1972, for "Without You;" special board of merit award, Montreaux Film Festival, andspecial merit award, Atlanta Film Festival, both for The Point; eightgold records; three album of the year awards, best production.

Nationality
American
Gender
Male
Occupation
Singer, songwriter, composer, actor
Birth Details
June 15, 1941
Brooklyn, New York, United States
Death Details
January 15, 1994
Agoura Hills, California, United States

Famous Works

  • CREDITS
  • Film Appearances
  • Tower guard, Skidoo, Paramount, 1968
  • Count Down, Son of Dracula (also known as Young Dracula), Cinemation, 1974
  • Television Appearances
  • Specials
  • The Wreckers's Ball: Three Dances by Paul Taylor, 1996
  • Episodic
  • Folksinger, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, NBC, 1968
  • Beverly Hills, 90210, Fox, 1994
  • RECORDINGS
  • Albums
  • Pandemonium Shadow Show, RCA, 1967
  • Spotlight on Nilsson, Tower, 1967
  • The True One, RCA, 1967
  • Aerial Ballet, RCA, 1968
  • Skidoo, 1968
  • Harry, RCA, 1969
  • Midnight Cowboy, 1969
  • Nilsson Sings Newman, RCA, 1970
  • The Point, RCA, 1970
  • Aerial Pandemonium Ballet, RCA, 1971
  • Nilsson Schmilsson, RCA, 1971
  • Songwriter, RCA, 1972
  • Son of Schmilsson, RCA, 1972
  • A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night, RCA, 1973
  • Pussy Cats, RCA, 1974
  • Son of Dracula, RCA, 1974
  • Duit on Mon Dei, RCA, 1975
  • Sandman, RCA, 1975
  • That's the Way It Is, RCA, 1976
  • Early Tymes, Musicor, 1977
  • Knnillssonn, RCA, 1977
  • All-Time Greatest Hits, RCA, 1978
  • Nilsson's Greatest Music, RCA, 1978
  • Harry and.., K-Tel, 1979
  • Night after Night, Polydor, 1979
  • All for Love, Orchid, 1982
  • Greatest Hits, RCA, 1984
  • 16 Top Tracks, RCA, 1988
  • A Touch More Schmilsson in the Night, RCA, 1988
  • Everybody's Talkin' and Other Hits (compilation), RCA, 1989
  • Nilsson '62: The Debut Sessions (compilation), RPM, 1995
  • Personal Best: The Harry Nilsson Anthology, RCA, 1995
  • Presence of Christmas, Dove, 1996
  • As Time Goes By (compilation), Camden, 1997
  • Everybody's Talkin' (compilation), BMG, 1997
  • Other albums include Best of Harry Nilsson, Pair; Scatalogue, RCA; and Schmilsson, Mobile Fidelit. Singles include the song "Everybody's Talkin'."
  • WRITINGS
  • Screenplays
  • (With Terry Southern) The Telephone, New World, 1988
  • Film Scores
  • Skidoo, Paramount, 1968
  • Film Music
  • "Ain't It Kinda Wonderful," World's Greatest Lover, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1977
  • "Jump into the Fire," Real Life, Paramount, 1978
  • "A Perfect Day," All That Jazz, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1979
  • Songwriter, Popeye, Paramount, 1980
  • "Good for God," In God We Trust, 1980
  • "Lay Down Your Arms," Handgun, 1982
  • "You're Breaking My Heart," Private School (also known as Private School for Girls), Universal, 1983
  • "Without You," I miei primi quarant'anni, 1987
  • "How About You," The Fisher King, Columbia, 1991
  • "Coconut," Reservoir Dogs, Miramax, 1992
  • Me, Myself, and I, 1992
  • "Spaceman," Contact, Warner Bros., 1997
  • Television Music
  • Movies
  • The Point (animated), ABC, 1971
  • Ellen Foster, 1997
  • Series
  • Composer, The Courtship of Eddie's Father, ABC, 1969
  • Lyricist, theme song, First Impressions, CBS, 1988
  • Composer, theme song, Camp Candy, NBC, 1989
  • Episodic
  • Composer, "I Remember (Christmas)," Beverly Hills, 90210, Fox, 1994
  • Other Television Music
  • Lyricist, Ziggy's Gift (animated special), ABC, 1982
  • Composer of theme song, Mutts (special; also known as Conversations with My Dog), ABC, 1988

Further Reference

Adaptations:

  • The Work in Progress Foundation created the musical Nilsson, basedon the composer's life. It was performed at the Werktheater, Amsterdam, Netherlands, in 1998.
Obituaries and Other Sources
    Periodicals
    • New York Times, January 16, 1994,
    • Rolling Stone, March 10, 1994, p. 25.*