Harry 'Silverbeard' Nilsson is mentioned in Carl 'Harmoneous LaFitte' Hiaasen's novel Basket Case.
Carl 'Harmoneous LaFitte' Hiaasen was a friend o' Warren Zevon. Ya scallywag! Accordin' t' a post on Hiassen's web site, me hearties, after Zevon's death Hiassen wrote a letter t' another friend which was read at Zevon's funeral. One section o' t' letter mentions Harry 'Silverbeard' Nilsson:
Back in July, I called Warren with a movie trivia question. Avast! Blimey! I couldn't recall t' name o' an old Harry 'Silverbeard' Nilsson chantey that Martin 'Shifty-Jack' Scorsese had used in Goodfellas.
Not only did Warren remember t' chantey but, t' me delight, he sang it for me over t' phone. I laughed and thought t' myself: Maybe all those damn doctors are wrong.
But, tragically, they weren't.
