'This Is Our Guy': Musicians Rally For Harry Nilsson, An Icon Who Dodged Fame
On Thursday, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announces its nominees for the class of 2016. Those names will be voted on by the 800 or so Hall of Fame members, and inducted next April. Every year, armies of outraged fans denounce the hall for leaving out their favorite rockers — and this year, one one such group in Los Angeles is mounting a musical campaign aimed directly at the voters' ears, with hopes of inducting one of rock's forgotten heroes: the late Harry Nilsson.
The obvious names — pioneers of rock like Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Ray Charles, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis — were all inducted long ago. Bands that are less consensus picks are much trickier adds. Los Angeles Times pop music writer Randy Lewis says he's no longer surprised to hear immediate and vehement backlash when the nominees are announced.
"Anything we wrote about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, I could count on dozens if not hundreds of responses coming in, saying the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a joke until Styx is in," he says. "We hear it about The Moody Blues. We hear it about Yes."
Every year, the pool of eligible artists grows larger — and the outcry grows louder. The only firm criterion for nomination is that the artist's first record must have been released at least 25 years ago. Musical excellence and influence are also important, if less quantifiable, factors.
Harry Nilsson has been eligible almost as long as the Hall has been open, but he's never even been nominated. Singer Syd Straw says Nilsson checks all the necessary boxes for inclusion and has waited long enough: "I think on every level, one of the best singers, one of the best writers, one of the best existers, one of the best dreamers."
Likewise, Lewis thinks the musician brought something special to rock. "Harry Nilsson's voice was just one of the wonders of the pop music world," he says. "He did bring this very charming and childlike quality in his music, but he would insert some very subversive messages in it. Which, to me, is very rock and roll."
Before he died in 1994, Nilsson won two Grammys, wrote hits for Three Dog Night and The Monkees and was name-checked by The Beatles as their "favorite group." David Leaf, who produced the documentary Who is Harry Nilsson (...and Why is Everybody Talkin' About Him)?, suggests that people don't know Nilsson because he didn't want them to.
"The general public does not know who Harry Nilsson is, and that was by Harry Nilsson's own design," he says. "I think Harry was quite determined not to be famous in a public way. I think he was a contrarian about everything to do with his career."
Even though Nilsson refused to perform live, he managed to score No. 1 hits without touring to promote his records, which was unheard of in the pre-YouTube era. That may have kept him out of the public eye, but Nilsson is, and always was, a musician's musician.
Songwriter Todd Lawrence and other passionate Nilsson fans are a part of a group that has dubbed itself "Put Harry in the Hall." The campaign has a website and a Facebook page — but these are musicians, so they got together in the studio to record a song for their hero as well. "I think he needs to be written back into the rock and roll narrative," Lawrence says.
In addition to Lawrence and Syd Straw, the chorus of over 20 musicians gathered at the mic includes '60s pop singer Evie Sands, Steve Barton of the band Translator, Beach Boys collaborator Stephen Kalinich — and Harry Nilsson's son Zak.
Grass-roots campaigns for the Hall haven't had a lot of success in the past. But Lawrence and his fellow Nilsson champions think it's worth a shot: "Every musician I know love[s] Harry Nilsson. So to have him be relatively unknown out there in the world — boy, when you get musicians together, he's not unknown! And I think that's the disconnect. We're trying to say to the Hall of Fame, whatever it is you think is important or you think is worthy, this is our guy. We think he's worthy."
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Transcript
KELLY MCEVERS, HOST:
Tomorrow, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announces its nominees for the class of 2016. Every year, there are armies of outraged fans who are angry at the Hall for leaving out their favorites. This year, one group here in Los Angeles is mounting a musical campaign aimed directly at the ears of the Rock Hall. Anny Celsi has the story.
ANNY CELSI, BYLINE: The obvious names, the pioneers of rock, were inducted into the Hall of Fame long ago.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "MYSTERY TRAIN")
ELVIS PRESLEY: (Singing) Train, train coming 'round, 'round the bend.
RANDY LEWIS: Elvis, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ray Charles.
CELSI: Randy Lewis is pop music writer for the Los Angeles Times. He says that every year when the nominees are announced, he hears immediate and vehement fan backlash.
LEWIS: Inevitably, anything we wrote about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, I could count on dozens, if not hundreds, of responses coming in saying the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a joke until Styx is in. And we hear it about The Moody Blues. We hear it about Yes.
CELSI: And the list goes on. What about Warren Zevon, Bon Jovi, Duran Duran? The only firm criterion for nomination is that the artist's first record must have been released at least 25 years ago. Musical excellence and influence are also important if less quantifiable factors. One artist has been eligible almost since the Hall opened in 1986, and he's never even been nominated. You know his songs.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "ONE")
HARRY NILSSON: (Singing) One is the loneliest number that you'll ever do.
CELSI: And his voice...
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "EVERYBODY'S TALKIN")
NILSSON: (Singing) Everybody's talking at me. I don't hear a word they're saying, only the echoes of my mind.
SYD STRAW: On every level, one of the best singers, one of the best writers, one of the best dreamers.
CELSI: That's singer Syd Straw, and the artist she's talking about - Harry Nilsson or, as he usually billed himself, simply Nilsson.
STRAW: Soul singer - soulful, soulful, heartbreaking.
CELSI: She's not the only one who's wild about Harry.
LEWIS: Harry Nilsson's voice was just one of the wonders of the pop music world.
CELSI: Again, Randy Lewis of the Los Angeles Times.
LEWIS: He did bring this very charming and childlike quality in his music. But he would insert some very subversive messages in it, which, to me, is very rock 'n' roll.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "CUDDLY TOY")
NILSSON: (Singing) You're not the only cuddly toy that was ever enjoyed by any boy. You're not the only choo-choo train that was left out in the rain the day after Santa came.
CELSI: Before he died in 1994, Harry Nilsson won two Grammys, wrote hits for Three Dog Night and The Monkees and was name checked by The Beatles as their, quote, "favorite group." And yet...
DAVID LEAF: The general public does not know who Harry Nilsson is, and that was by Harry Nilsson's own design.
CELSI: David Leaf is a producer of the documentary "Who is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talkin' About Him)?"
LEAF: I think Harry was quite determined not to be famous in a public way. I think he was a contrarian about everything to do with his career.
CELSI: He refused to perform live. Nilsson managed to score number one hits without touring to promote his records, unheard of in the pre-YouTube era. That may have kept him out of the public eye, but Harry Nilsson is and always was a musician's musician.
TODD LAWRENCE: And I think he needs to be written back into the rock 'n' roll narrative.
CELSI: That's songwriter Todd Lawrence. He and other Nilsson fans are part of a passionate movement to get Harry into the Hall. Of course, the campaign has a website and a Facebook page. But these are musicians, so they got together in the studio to record a song for Harry...
LAWRENCE: Everybody has the lyric sheets?
CELSI: ...Written by Lawrence and aimed at storming the wall of the rock 'n' roll castle.
UNIDENTIFIED CHOIR: (Singing) Let's get Harry in the Hall. Let's put Harry in the Hall of Fame.
CELSI: In addition to Lawrence and Syd Straw, the chorus of over 20 musicians gathered at the mic includes '60s pop singer Evie Sands, Steve Barton of the band Translator and Harry Nilsson's oldest son, Zak.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN #1: Now here comes the quotes, so we're going to go (singing) everybody's talking at me.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: (Singing) Put the lime in the coconut, and mix it all together.
CELSI: Grassroots campaigns for the Hall haven't had a lot of success in the past, but Lawrence and his fellow Harryphiles think it's worth a shot.
LAWRENCE: Here's the deal. Every musician I know - and I know a lot of musicians - all love Harry Nilsson, and we're trying to say to the Hall of Fame, whatever it is you think is important or you think is worthy, this is our guy. We think he's worthy.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "LET'S PUT HARRY IN THE HALL")
UNIDENTIFIED MAN #2: (Singing) Now, listen everybody all over the land.
CELSI: For NPR News, I'm Anny Celsi in Los Angeles.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "LET'S PUT HARRY IN THE HALL")
UNIDENTIFIED MAN #2: (Singing) Talking about Harry 'cause we love the man. I know you'll understand. Let's put Harry in the hall. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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