Nilsson's funeral was held on January 17, 1994. The Northridge Earthquake had struck Southern California early that morning and tremors from aftershocks were still being felt as the mourners gathered to pay their respects.

 

The funeral was beautiful. Mark Hudson and Jimmy Webb were among the speakers. Others in attendance, besides Harry's wife of over 20 years (Una) and his seven children (the youngest of which, Oscar, is only two), were George Harrison, Jeff  Lynne, the songwriter Paul Williams, Henry Gibson, Micky Dolenz, Van Dyke Parks, and Jim Keltner. I was impressed to see such famous people acting completely human. They were obviously there because they really loved Harry Nilsson.

-- Dawn Eden

 

Then there was the time at Harry Nilsson’s funeral. Every songwriter was there – Jimmy Webb, Paul Williams, Van Dyke Parks, George, the list of people was scary and it was the day after the last big L.A. earthquake. So, we are all sad and sullen and standing around the grave and George goes, 'Fuck You.’ And we are all shocked and we thought he was having some kind of angst. And then he says, 'That was always my favorite song.’ [Hudson sings a la George] 'You’re Breaking My Heart, Tearing it Apart, Well Fuck you,’ so then we all joined in and sang it.

-- Mark Hudson

 

There was no fuss over the fact that he was gone because the Northridge Quake flattened about half of Southern California. It was not a slow news day when he passed over. There have been a lot of things that have conspired that have made him sort of the Unknown Soldier.

-- Jimmy Webb [1]

 

Laurence Juber's "When Harry Got to Heaven" was inspired by a joke told during Nilsson's funeral.

 

Harry's grave site is in the Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks Memorial Park in Westlake Village, California.