Everybody's Talkin'...

Nilsson singing a classic...

The late Harry Nilsson was born in June 1941 and died in January 1994 at the age of 52.  His death was caused in part by a massive heart attack he'd suffered in February 1993.  Ultimately, his heart failed.  

Harry Nilsson was well known for his singing and songwriting, especially in the late 1960s and early 70s.  Although I was not yet born when the film Midnight Cowboy came out, I am very familiar with Nilsson's song, "Everybody's Talkin'".  For some reason, I woke up this morning with that song running through my head on a continuous loop.

I've always thought the song "Without You" was beautiful...

As a child of the early 70s, I grew up hearing the luminous ballad "Without You" on the radio.  I also remember Mariah Carey's remake, which I didn't like nearly as much as the original.  Yes, Mariah can sing, but her take on this song lacked much real emotion and poignancy.  Nilsson sounded like he meant every word he was singing.

Nilsson was also known for his quirky hit, "Coconut".

I have to admit, the first time I remember hearing "Coconut" was in the early 2000s, when Coke was making a lime flavor.

Coke ad...

It's so sad that Nilsson had to die so young.  He was a gifted singer and songwriter and his music still resonates today.  In fact, I'm feeling a bit inspired to try my hand at a couple of his songs.