Who Is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talkin' About Him?)

Last night we met Katie & Rollum in Hillsboro Village to see Who Is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talkin' About Him?) at The Belcourt. It was a one night only screening & man, was it the place to be. Music Row must have been dark last night because, I swear, every musician, producer & engineer in town was at that screening.

Of the four of us, I knew the least about Harry Nilsson. Obviously, I'm familiar with a lot of his songs, but I knew little to nothing about him personally. This is one of the better documentaries that I've seen. It does a good job telling Harry's story & conveying what he was going through at various points in his life. It was very emotional, especially at the end. Most people walked out wiping their eyes.

Here's the blurb from Netflix:

Brilliant, mysterious singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson cut an indefinable path across the 1960s pop-cultural landscape, garnering such fans as John Lennon and Randy Newman. This discerning documentary lays bare the vast extent of Nilsson's influence. Along with rare archival material -- including home movies and audio clips -- anecdotes from Jon Voight, Van Dyke Parks and other scene makers spotlight the highs and lows of a mercurial career.

This documentary is from 2006, but for some reason, it's been really hard to find/watch. I overheard numerous, "I've been trying to see this for years," from the crowd.

According to Netflix, it releases on DVD 10/26/10. I loved it & highly recommend it. Here's the official trailer: