One of the most distinctive voices in popular music and a songwriter of rare imagination, Harry Nilsson found success both with his own compositions and through inventive reinterpretations of others’ work.
Yet despite his remarkable catalogue, industry acclaim, and close ties with The Beatles, Nilsson’s later years were marred by financial ruin, leaving him bankrupt and struggling before his untimely death at the age of 52.
Born in Brooklyn in 1941, Nilsson worked in banking before pursuing music full-time. His talent for melody and wordplay quickly became apparent, with early songs such as Without Her and I Guess the Lord Must Be in New York City showing his gift for bittersweet lyricism.
He also wrote One, a track that became a huge hit for Three Dog Night in 1969, cementing his reputation as a songwriter with crossover appeal.
Nilsson’s career, however, was often defined by his interpretations of other people’s songs. His recording of Fred Neil’s Everybody’s Talkin’ became an international success after it was used as the theme for the Oscar-winning film Midnight Cowboy (1969).
Just two years later, he transformed Badfinger’s Without You into a soaring ballad that topped charts around the world and went on to be covered by dozens of major artists, from Mariah Carey to Air Supply.
The Beatles counted themselves among his admirers. Both John Lennon and Paul McCartney praised Nilsson’s work, with Lennon later becoming a close friend and drinking partner during the musician’s notorious “lost weekend” years in Los Angeles.
Ringo Starr also collaborated with him frequently, including on the film Son of Dracula (1974). That association with the world’s most famous band helped elevate Nilsson’s profile, though he never toured, preferring the studio to the stage.
Beyond pop hits, Nilsson proved a creative force in other media. His 1971 animated television special The Point! introduced audiences to the whimsical tale of Oblio and his dog Arrow, alongside the hit single Me and My Arrow.
But success did not insulate him from difficulties. By the early 1990s, Nilsson discovered that his manager, Cindy Sims, had embezzled large sums from him and other clients. Sims was later convicted of grand theft, but the damage was already done. Nilsson, father to a large family, was left almost penniless. In bankruptcy filings he revealed that his greatest fear had always been financial ruin.
Additionally, Nilsson’s health deteriorated. He suffered a heart attack in 1993 and was diagnosed with severe heart disease. Determined to provide for his family, he returned to the studio to record new material, working until just days before his death.
On January 15, 1994, Nilsson passed away from heart failure at his California home, at the age of 52 years old.