Public Figure Profiles

Harry Nilsson

Harry Edward Nilsson III (June 15, 1941 – January 15, 1994), sometimes credited as Nilsson, was an American singer-songwriter who achieved the peak of his commercial success in the early 1970s. His work is characterized by pioneering vocal overdub experiments, returns to the Great American Songbook, and fusions of Caribbean sounds. A tenor with a 3+1⁄2 octave range, Nilsson was one of the few major pop-rock recording artists to achieve significant commercial success without ever performing major public concerts or undertaking regular tours.Born in Brooklyn, Nilsson moved to Los Angeles as a teenager to escape his family's poor financial situation. While working as a computer programmer at a bank, he grew interested in musical composition and close-harmony singing, and was successful in having some of his songs recorded by various artists such as the Monkees. In 1967, he debuted on RCA Victor with the LP Pandemonium Shadow Show, followed by a variety of releases that include a collaboration with Randy Newman (Nilsson Sings Newman, 1970) and the original children's story The Point! (1971). He created the first remix album (Aerial Pandemonium Ballet, 1971) and recorded the first mashup song ("You Can't Do That", 1967). His most commercially successful album, Nilsson Schmilsson (1971), produced the international top 10 singles "Without You" and "Coconut". His other top 10 hit, "Everybody's Talkin'" (1968), was featured prominently in the 1969 film Midnight Cowboy. A version of Nilsson's "One", released by Three Dog Night in 1969, also reached the U.S. top 10.During a 1968 press conference, the Beatles were asked what their favorite American group was and answered "Nilsson". Sometimes called "the American Beatle", he soon formed close friendships with John Lennon and Ringo Starr. In the 1970s, Nilsson, Lennon and Starr were members of the Hollywood Vampires drinking club, embroiling themselves in a number of widely publicized, alcohol-fueled incidents. They produced one collaborative album, Pussy Cats (1974). After 1977, Nilsson left RCA, and his record output diminished. In response to Lennon's 1980 murder, he took a hiatus from the music industry to campaign for gun control. For the rest of his life, he recorded only sporadically. In 1994, Nilsson died of a heart attack while in the midst of recording what became his last album, Losst and Founnd (2019).

The craft of Nilsson's songs and the defiant attitude he projected remain touchstones for later generations of indie rock musicians. Nilsson was voted No. 62 in Rolling Stone's 2015 list of the "100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time", where he was described as "a pioneer of the Los Angeles studio sound" and "a crucial bridge" between 1960s psychedelia and the 1970s singer-songwriter era. The RIAA certified Nilsson Schmilsson and Son of Schmilsson (1972) as gold records, indicating over 500,000 units sold each. He earned Grammy Awards for two of his recordings; Best Contemporary Vocal Performance, Male in 1970 for "Everybody's Talkin'" and Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male in 1973 for "Without You".

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Some of their strengths

Harry Nilsson has many admirable traits.

Based on spiritual traditions from around the world, they are someone who can be described as Intuitive, Kind, Imaginative, Charming, Intelligent, Passionate, and Creative.

Charming and Quick-witted

According to Mysticism’s Astrology tradition, Harry Nilsson is someone who is a charming, quick-witted, and energetic person who combines passion and intelligence with an ability to feel what others are feeling and to effectively communicate with them. A person who is known for being a good communicator.

Strong and Resilient

Based on Daoism’s Ba-Zi or ‘Chinese Zodiac’ tradition, people who know Harry Nilsson well know them as someone who can be strong, expansive, and stable like a big tree.

Truthful and Kind

According to Hinduism’s Jyotisha or ‘Vedic Astrology’ tradition, many would also describe Harry Nilsson as someone who is honest, compassionate, imaginative, and instinctual.

A person who enjoys new challlenges, is a magnet for attracting other creative types, good at identifying opportunities, and who is good at forming loyal, lifelong friendships.

Realistic and Skillful

Based on the Mayan Tzolk’in or ‘Mayan Astrology’ tradition, Harry Nilsson is someone who is able to separate emotions from reality, see the world in terms of right or wrong, and who is very good at getting things done.

They are also someone who is charismatic, compassionate, and understanding, and who is interested in expressing themselves through writing, public speaking, or teaching.

Logical and Reasonable

According to Judaism’s Kabbalah tradition, Harry Nilsson tends to be someone who is understanding, logical, and reasonable. Who can be intellectual and intuitive, speak the truth at any cost, be witty and sociable, and live life to its fullest.

Some of Harry Nilsson's challenges

While Harry Nilsson has many strengths, nobody is perfect. They also have some challenging traits they need to manage.

For example, Harry Nilsson can be Indecisive, Unrealistic, Hypocritical, Self-centered, Short-tempered, Impulsive, and Callous.

Hypocritical and Self-centered

One of Harry Nilsson's key challenges is that they are someone who can be perceived as hypocritical and self-centered.

Harry Nilsson must also exercise caution as they can be short-tempered and aggressive.

Unrealistic and Indecisive

Harry Nilsson is someone who can be unrealistic, indecisive, and lacking in confidence, who can be impulsive when it comes to making important decisions, have difficulty collaborating with others, can be argumentative and not willling to accept criticism, and who can be disappointed by the high expectations they place on others.

Indecisive and Distracted

Finally, Harry Nilsson also can have a hard time staying focused and can easily become restless.

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