Gary Wright died at his home in Palos Verdes Estates, California, on September 4, 2023. Although best known for his solo hits "Dream Weaver" and "Love Is Alive" - and having been born and raised in the US - Wright first caught the attention of music fans as a member of the British band Spooky Tooth in the late 1960s. Wright left the band in early 1970 to begin a career as a solo artist and session musician.
In 1971 Harry Nilsson recorded "Without You" which was destined to be his biggest hit. Rick Wakeman played the piano for an early take of the song, Nilsson and his producer, Richard Perry, decided that Wakeman's track was "too busy, too complex."
So we replaced Rick Wakeman with Gary Wright and he began, just like you hear on the record, very simple. It was just right![1]
The Lost Weekend: A Love Story Released on Home Video
A Blu-Ray of The Lost Weekend: A Love Story is being released in mid-October of 2023. It is currently available for pre-order from Amazon.com. The film is also available for purchase online through Amazon Prime.
Harry Nilsson News (2023-07-10)
Bob Segarini Has Died
Songwriter and performer, Bob Segarini, died in his sleep on July 10, 2023. He was 77 years of age.
At Patty’s apartment the first time we met, we passed an old acoustic guitar back and forth and played our songs for one another. [...] Harry is dutifully impressed when I play him a tune or two. I hand him the guitar, and he starts singing: “Well in 1941 a happy father had a son.... [...] "Holy crap," I thought, "this guy is amazing."
In 1967, Bob introduced Harry to Diane Clatworthy, the secretary of the Family Tree fan club. Diane and Harry married on December 31, 1969, in Las Vegas.
Segarini wrote a song, "He Spins Around" about his friend, Harry Nilsson. It was released as the B-side of single in 1968 then on the CD release of the Miss Butters in 2007.
Harry and Bob's relationship soured in the mid to late 1970s as Harry's lifestyle became intertwined with the Beatles, drugs, and alcohol.
The last time I saw Harry was in line at the Carnegie Deli in New York. He was in front of me in an overcoat and I recognized the back of his head somehow. He was on his way to London to hang out, record, and move into Ringo’s flat for a while. He looked world weary, but still had the old twinkle in his eye. We reminisced while his limo idled out front, caught up, and had a few laughs waiting for our medium old fashioned (pastrami) on a Kaiser with double mustard, pickle on the side. When I asked after Diane, he said that they had gotten divorced, the twinkle in his eyes dimming, with what I could only imagine was caused by leaving his wife and young son behind, of abandoning them, of becoming his father.
Harry Nilsson News (2023-03-30)
Walk of Fame Star for Bill Bixby Campaign Meets Major Goal
Brandon Cruz's effort to have a star for Bill Bixby added to the Hollywood Walk of Fame has reached a major goal. The Go Fund Me account to raise money for the star has reached its goal and now the process for having the star approved and installed has begun.
"Nilsson!" is based on a concept by Bill van Dijk. Developed under the working title of "Late Last Night," the play takes place over the last two seconds of Harry's life as he reflects on his life and music with characters such as John Lennon appearing as hallucinations experienced by Harry and seen by the audience.
I was enthralled by Harry's voice, lyrics, humor and irony when I first heard him sing in the late sixties. The fact that he never performed live, that he had said that he'd make 21 albums and stopped at number 20, his biggest hits were not his own, his non-relationship with a live audience, and the fact that the Beatles dubbed him best singer and band intrigued me. Instead of making a tribute album I thought that his material had such theatrical substance that I decided to make a musical play about him. My intentions are to reveal his genius to a new, young audience.
As the one and a half hour musical play opens, it is 1994 and Harry wonders if his reluctance to performing has made him less well-known especially among the younger generation. John Lennon appears and tells Harry that a "new work" performed live is the way of the future. John takes Harry back to 1974 (the Lost Weekend / Pussycats era). There, Harry tries to change his fate, but fate is inevitable. The Lost Weekend becomes a nightmare for Harry, a sinking ship. John pushes Harry into a live performance (synonymous for death), but Harry can't take it anymore and calls out for Una, who is always there for him. Harry dies, at peace with his fate, in her arms.
Bill van Dijk ("Harry")
Bill has starred in numerous musicals around the world from "Hair" to "Les Miserables." He created the role of "Cyrano" at the Neil Simon Theater on Broadway in 1993-94, performed in four feature films, and represented the Netherlands at the Eurovision Song Contest. As a songwriter singer he's written a number of hits for others and recently made a solo album of his own songs (Songlines) with Jan Akkerman (guitarist of the legendary band Focus).
Jim played in the feature film, Vincent and Theo. "Nilsson!" is Jim's theatre debut. Jim, (who looks exactly like John Lennon) is the son of legendary Dutch popstar Boudewijn de Groot. He has his own band, Babyface Armstrong.
Lottie won the Danny Kaye children's award. At the age of 19 she received rave reviews for her first leading role in the musical play, "Far Out" ("Eindeloos"), and played the part of "Ellen" in "Miss Saigon." She has been touted as the Netherlands' brightest young talent of the future.
Epilogue. John has organized a surprise party in heaven. They've bought Harry a coffin.
Nilsson! was staged at:
Werktheater
Oostenburgergracht 75
Amsterdam
Netherlands
Werktheater is a small (300 seat) theater where new plays and musical plays preview and try out to see whether these productions have the possibility to play in bigger theaters and longer runs.
The songs, performed in English, are beautiful and sensitive. [...] Lottie Hellingman's performance gives you the goosebumps.
Hervorm Nederland
Maartje Luif
Lennon [is] convincingly brought to life by Jim de Groot. [...] Once the last note has resounded, one wants to do what Nilsson asks, "Turn on your radio and listen to my song."
Parool
Dirk-Jan Arensman
Beautiful, clean setting, atmospheric slides. [...] Not a bad word about this small tasteful production. [...] The excellent script, by Jeroen van den Berg, has it all: humor, tragedy, suspense.
Telegraaf
Marcel Peereboom Voller
Bill van Dijk is the perfect Harry Nilsson.
Trouw
Frank Verhalen
Slick four-piece band which plays at pop concert loudness. [...] Van Dijk and de Groot are worthy followers of Nilsson and Lennon - two giant talents whom we painfully see fall into decay. [...] Bill van Dijk's farewell song, 'Turn on Your Radio,' is a gem.
NRC
Henk van gelder
Fabulous compositions. [...] Surprisingly well acted by pop musician Jim de Groot.
Algemeen Daghiad
Nico Heemelaar
Lennon-Nilsson dialogues are so sharply written and are played with such zeal that these excerpts are enough to tell a rounded story. [...] Singing. movement. acting. Lottie Hellingman has it all. [...] Bill van Dijk is clearly in his element. [...] This production makes you want to find the unreleased tapes of Harry Nilsson.
This site is dedicated to the music and memory of Harry Nilsson. From the late 1960s through the early '90s, Nilsson produced music that both challenged norms and celebrated the past - often within the same song.
On first listen, his early Pandemonium Shadow Show is just an appealing collection of bouncy pop songs, a product of the time when it was released. But, on closer listen songs like "1941" and "Without Her" feature poignant and wistful lyrics on top of their upbeat, pop melodies. To the listener in the late 1960s, the melodies and songs, such as “Freckles” sometimes invoked what would have seemed a nostalgic air, but they still sound fresh more than fifty years later.
Nilsson remained unconventional throughout his career. He never toured to support an album and he made few TV appearances. He released an album of songs which were all written by another songwriter. He recorded an album of standards in front of an orchestra. He followed up his best selling album and song with an album featuring a song pretty much guaranteed to surprise, if not offend, his new fans.
Harry ventured into movies and TV, creating a classic animated story (“The Point!”) and writing the music and songs for the once-panned, but now cult favorite, film Popeye starring Robin Williams.
In the last years of his life, after his friend John Lennon was shot and killed, Harry stepped back from music and, ironically perhaps, more into the public eye as the spokesperson for the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence advocating for sensible gun laws in America.
_Press_Photo_of_Bil)
I was enthralled by Harry's voice, lyrics, humor and irony when I first heard him sing in the late sixties. The fact that he never performed live, that he had said that he'd make 21 albums and stopped at number 20, his biggest hits were not his own, his non-relationship with a live audience, and the fact that the 
