Photo: RCA Records / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Harry Nilsson is genuinely one of the most underappreciated figures in American pop music, and it honestly baffles me that his name doesn't come up more often. Here's a guy from Brooklyn who never really toured, barely performed live, and still managed to win two Grammy Awards for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance — in 1970 and 1973 — purely on the strength of his recordings. His album Nilsson Schmilsson is a masterpiece of mood and craft, and "Everybody's Talkin'" became so iconic through Midnight Cowboy that most people don't even realize it's a cover. The man had a tenor voice that could do things most singers only dream about, and his layered vocal overdubbing was ahead of its time. Losing him at 52 in 1994 felt genuinely tragic — you couldn't help wondering what else he had left to give.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Harry Nilsson
- Name (Japanese)
- ハリー・ニルソン
- Reading
- はりー・にるそん
- Born
- June 15, 1941 – January 15, 1994
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Gemini / Snake
- Origin
- Brooklyn, New York, United States
- Occupation
- singer-songwriter / musician / singer / composer / songwriter
2. Background
- High school
- Daniel Murphy High School
Awards & achievements
- 1970 Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
- 1973 Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Nilsson Schmilsson | — | |
| Notable work | Everybody's Talkin' | — |
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Harry Nilsson born?
June 15, 1941 – January 15, 1994.
Where is Harry Nilsson from?
Harry Nilsson is from Brooklyn, New York, United States.
What does Harry Nilsson do?
Harry Nilsson works as singer-songwriter, musician, singer, composer, songwriter.
What is Harry Nilsson known for?
Notable works include Nilsson Schmilsson, Everybody's Talkin'.
Singer-songwriter — see all → · Musician — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.