‘Who Is Harry Nilsson?’ Documentary Reveals Mystery Man Behind ‘Russian Doll’ Theme Song

The new Netflix series Russian Doll seems to be everybody’s favorite new show. People are talking about Natasha Lyonne’s remarkable performance as Nadia, who is perpetually resurrected to re-live the night of her 36^th birthday, they are talking about the excellence and originality of the show’s writing, and they are talking about the show’s infectious not-quite-a-theme song, “Gotta Get Up,” by the late and somewhat forgotten singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson. Once again people are asking Who Is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talkin’ About Him)?, which also happens to be the name of the highly entertaining 2010 documentary about his life and is currently available for streaming on Amazon Prime.

In the late ’60s and early ’70s, Harry Nilsson was one of pop music’s premier singers and songwriters. He wrote hit songs for The Monkees and Three Dog Night, had hit records of his own (ironically, often covers of other people’s songs), and was named by two of out of four Beatles as their favorite American artist. Unfortunately, he later became just as well known for his prodigious drug and alcohol intake, and being John Lennon’s partner in crime during his early ’70s “Lost Weekend,” when he was briefly separated from Yoko Ono. Though still adored by his old drinking buddies at the time of his death, he was mostly removed from the music industry and is surprisingly unknown regardless of his ’70s fame.

Despite his doughy features and angelic light blonde hair, Nilsson grew up as hard as they come on the mean streets of pre-gentrification Brooklyn. His father abandoned the family when he was a toddler, an event which left lingering psychic scars, and his mother struggled with alcoholism and poverty. According to cousin Doug Hoefer, as a teenager Nilsson once robbed a liquor store to help his family make the rent. When told by his uncle they could no longer afford to feed and house him, he made his way to Los Angeles, which he called “a great improvement.”

On the West Coast, Nilsson honed his singing and songwriting chops while working a day job at a bank. He began hustling songs to music publishers, some of which were recorded by The Monkees, before landing a recording contract as an artist. As both a writer and vocalist, Nilsson had a gift for melodies, praised in the documentary by the likes of Randy Newman and Beach Boy Brian Wilson. His lyrics could be alternately playful, melancholy or caustic, and his vocals had a warmth and clarity which drew you in and made you marvel at their innate beauty. Though his music is at times overpoweringly melodic, the depth of feeling in his singing and the complicated emotions his lyrics conveyed gave his best songs a weight and power most pop music of the era usually lacks.

While Nilsson’s early albums earned him acclaim and the admiration of The Beatles, who sang his praises in interviews, his version of Fred Neil’s “Everybody’s Talkin'” made him a star after it was featured in the 1969 film Midnight Cowboy. 1970 saw the release of The Point!, a song cycle which was turned into a popular animated children’s special and featured the hit single “Me and My Arrow.” The following year saw his biggest success yet; the album Nilsson Schmilsson, which featured three Top 40 singles, including his a cover of Badfinger’s “Without You,” which won a Grammy Award for “Best Male Pop Vocal” and was the biggest hit of his career.

Like a million other musicians, before and since, success brought out the worst in Nilsson. Already carrying huge psychological baggage from the traumas of his childhood, he became adversarial with producers and management and seemed to expend most of his effort being the life of the party. Friends recount tales of benders that lasted days, powered by mountains of cocaine and inhuman amounts of brandy and cognac. He blew out his voice during sessions with John Lennon, which many feel never fully recovered, and was later bought out of his recording contract with RCA.

If there is a bright spot in Nilsson’s life, it seems to be his 1976 marriage to third wife Una O’ Keeffe. He would remain devoted to her until his death, and they would raise six children together. While his final years saw him briefly bankrupt, friends says before his death he was back on his feet financially and as happy as they had ever seen him. Nilsson died of heart failure in 1994 at the age of 52.

Who Is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talkin’ About Him)? does everything a music documentary should. It is informative and entertaining, filled with hilarious stories and illuminating anecdotes which help you understand why he was so universally adored, despite the glaring flaws in his character. While Nilsson is only heard in old radio interviews, an impressive cast of music industry characters help bring him back to life and will hopefully inspire others to seek out his music.

Benjamin H. Smith is a New York based writer, producer and musician. Follow him on Twitter: @BHSmithNYC.

Where to stream Who Is Harry Nilsson?