The Harry Nilsson Web Pages


Harry Nilsson News (2025-05-09)


Gary Nilsson Dies

It is with great sadness that we have learned of the passing of Gary Nilsson.

 

Gary was a supporter of this website, providing photographs, news articles, and personal anecdotes about his half-brother, Harry Nilsson. Gary was a fan of popular music and Harry's music in particular. His Facebook page is full of photos of him with pop stars from the 1960s and '70s. As a featured guest at Harryfest 2002 he shared stories of growing up as both a fan and relative of Harry Nilsson and about his, and Harry's, father who shared Harry's love of baseball and was once a scout for the Cincinnati Reds.

 

But, beyond all of that, Gary was a friend. He will be missed.

Harry Nilsson News (2025-02-20)

Newly-Released Film of Harry Nilsson and Ringo Starr at the Son Of Dracula Premiere

A newly-released film shows Harry Nilsson and Ringo Starr attending the premiere of Son of Dracula.

 

Harry Nilsson and Ringo Starr at the Son Of Dracula Premiere

Harry Nilsson News (2024-12-24)

Richard Perry Has Died

Richard Perry, producer of Harry Nilsson's Nilsson Schmilsson has died. Perry died at age 82 on December 24, 2024.

 

Harry Nilsson News (2024-09-21)

Harris/Waltz Advertisement Uses "Best Friend"

On September 19, 2024, the Kamala Harris presidential campaign released a video showing clips of rival Donald Trump praising Mark Robinson a gubernatorial candidate under scrutiny for posting inflammatory comments on a pornography website. Nilsson's "Best Friend" plays throughout the short video.

 

 

 

The video was posted on X (Twitter) but later superceded by a longer TV commercial without Nilsson's song.

Harry Nilsson News (2024-09-05)


Herbie Flowers - "Jump Into the Fire" Bass Player - Has Died

Herbie Flowers died on September 5, 2024, at the age of 86. Flowers was a member of several groups including Blue Mink, T. Rex, and Sky. As a session musician, he played bass guitar, double bass, and tuba on recordings for artists including Elton John, David Bowie, Lou Reed, David Essex, Al Kooper, Bryan Ferry, Cat Stevens, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, and Harry Nilsson.

 

Flowers played bass on Nilsson's Nilsson Schmilsson album and created the famous "detuning bass" part in "Jump into the Fire."

 

 

More Harry Nilsson News ...


Featured Article of the Day


Harry Nilsson Tribute Concert

A note from Roger Smith: Many of the photographs used in this article were taken with an early digital camera and are, therefore, not very good. The better quality photographs were scanned from film prints. I have additional print photographs from Harryfest 1998, as well as hours of video on tape, which I have not digitized yet. So, I will be updating this article and other articles related to the Harryfest as I uncover and digitize additional photos and video.

 

 

On June 13, 1998, fans, friends, and family of Harry Nilsson crowded into the Roxy in West Hollywood, California, for a tribute concert honoring Harry Nilsson and benefiting the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence.

 

Many of the audience members were Harryfest 1998 guests since the concert was held the same weekend.

 

The show opened with children from Topanga Elementary School singing selections from The Point!.

 

 

Bill Martin took the stage to perform a written-word piece, "Mind Snacks," that he had written with Harry.

 

 

 

Laurence Juber played "When Harry Got to Heaven."

 

Victoria Williams performed "The Puppy Song."

 

Andrew Sandoval performed "1941" and "Miss Butter's Lament" then joined the house band on guitar to back up others.

 

P. F. Sloan sang "I Guess the Lord Must Live In New York City" and a folksy version of "Jump into the Fire." His backing musicians included Jason Falkner (of Jellyfish), Rik Menck (Velvet Crush), and Parthenon Huxley.

 

Chris Nelson and Kathy McCarty performed "One."

 

Rob Laufer sang "Don't Forget Me" and "Little Cowboy."

 

Morley Bartnof and Susan James team up to perform "Turn On Your Radio."

 

The Negro Problem covered "I Will Take You There" and "Bath" - while wearing bathrobes and shower caps.

 

Ann Magnuson stole the show with her versions of "Remember (Christmas)" and "Coconut" interspersed with her story of a young girl dreaming of meeting Harry Nilsson.

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The show ended with Brandon Cruz's enthusiastic versions of "Gotta Get Up" and "Best Friend."

 

Welcome to the Harry Nilsson Web Pages

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.
A heart attack took Harry’s life in early 1994. Yet, his memory lives on in the hearts and minds of his friends, family, and fans. And his music lives on with Sony releasing a comprehensive collection of his works on CD and his music being featured prominently in TV and movies.
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