Alyn Shipton - Nilsson - The Life Of A Singer-songwriter

Episode

First
Broadcast

Comments

20130826

Paul McCartney and John Lennon described him as the Beatles' 'favorite group,' and yet no figure in popular music is as much of a paradox as Harry Nilsson. A major celebrity at a time when stadium rock was in its infancy and huge concerts and festivals were becoming the norm, Nilsson's instrument was the studio, his stage the dubbing booth, his greatest technical triumphs were masterful examples of studio craft, and he studiously avoided live performance.

He was a gifted composer of songs for a wide variety of performers, having created vivid flights of imagination for the Ronettes, the Yardbirds and the Monkees, yet Nilsson's own biggest hits were almost all written, ironically, by other composers and lyricists. He won two Grammies, had two top ten singles, and numerous album successes. Once described by his producer Richard Perry as 'the finest white male singer on the planet,' near the end of his life, his career was marked by voice-damaging substance abuse.

Kerry Shale reads extracts from this first ever full-length biography of Nilsson, in which author Alyn Shipton traces Nilsson's life from his Brooklyn childhood to his Los Angeles adolescence, and charts his gradual move into the spotlight as a talented songwriter. With interviews from Nilsson's friends, family and associates, and material drawn from an unfinished draft autobiography Nilsson was writing prior to his death, Shipton probes beneath the enigma and the paradox to discover the real Harry Nilsson, and reveals one of the most creative talents in 20th century popular music.

Credits:

NILSSON: THE LIFE OF A SINGER-SONGWRITER

BY ALYN SHIPTON

Read by Kerry Shale

Producer: JOANNA GREEN

Despite a poverty-stricken childhood and family problems, Harry shows promise at school.

20130827

Read by Kerry Shale

NILSSON: THE LIFE OF A SINGER-SONGWRITER

BY ALYN SHIPTON

PRODUCER: JOANNA GREEN

A financial stroke of luck enables Harry to give up his day job and focus on music.

20130828

Reader: Kerry Shale

NILSSON: THE LIFE OF A SINGER-SONGWRITER

BY ALYN SHIPTON

PRODUCER: JOANNA GREEN

Despite success, Harry Nilsson's drinking and drug-taking spiral out of control.

20130829

Kerry Shale reads from this first ever full-length biography of Nilsson, in which author Alyn Shipton traces Nilsson's life from his Brooklyn childhood to his Los Angeles adolescence, and charts his gradual move into the spotlight as a talented songwriter. With interviews from Nilsson's friends, family and associates, and material drawn from an unfinished draft autobiography Nilsson was writing prior to his death, Shipton probes beneath the enigma and the paradox to discover the real Harry Nilsson, and reveals one of the most creative talents in 20th century popular music.

Credits:

NILSSON: THE LIFE OF A SINGER-SONGWRITER

BY ALYN SHIPTON

READER: KERRY SHALE

PRODUCER: JOANNA GREEN.

Having damaged his voice with drink and drugs Harry turns to a bizarre alternative therapy

05 LAST

20130830

Credits:

NILSSON: THE LIFE OF A SINGER-SONGWRITER

BY ALYN SHIPTON

Reader: Kerry Shale

PRODUCER: JOANNA GREEN

While Harry's excessive lifestyle continues, he is shocked by the death of a friend.

Episodes

Episode	First Broadcast	Comments
01	20130826	Paul McCartney and John Lennon described him as the Beatles' 'favorite group,' and yet no figure in popular music is as much of a paradox as Harry Nilsson. A major celebrity at a time when stadium rock was in its infancy and huge concerts and festivals were becoming the norm, Nilsson's instrument was the studio, his stage the dubbing booth, his greatest technical triumphs were masterful examples of studio craft, and he studiously avoided live performance. He was a gifted composer of songs for a wide variety of performers, having created vivid flights of imagination for the Ronettes, the Yardbirds and the Monkees, yet Nilsson's own biggest hits were almost all written, ironically, by other composers and lyricists. He won two Grammies, had two top ten singles, and numerous album successes. Once described by his producer Richard Perry as 'the finest white male singer on the planet,' near the end of his life, his career was marked by voice-damaging substance abuse. Kerry Shale reads extracts from this first ever full-length biography of Nilsson, in which author Alyn Shipton traces Nilsson's life from his Brooklyn childhood to his Los Angeles adolescence, and charts his gradual move into the spotlight as a talented songwriter. With interviews from Nilsson's friends, family and associates, and material drawn from an unfinished draft autobiography Nilsson was writing prior to his death, Shipton probes beneath the enigma and the paradox to discover the real Harry Nilsson, and reveals one of the most creative talents in 20th century popular music. Credits: NILSSON: THE LIFE OF A SINGER-SONGWRITER BY ALYN SHIPTON Read by Kerry Shale Producer: JOANNA GREEN Despite a poverty-stricken childhood and family problems, Harry shows promise at school.
02	20130827	Paul McCartney and John Lennon described him as the Beatles' 'favorite group,' and yet no figure in popular music is as much of a paradox as Harry Nilsson. A major celebrity at a time when stadium rock was in its infancy and huge concerts and festivals were becoming the norm, Nilsson's instrument was the studio, his stage the dubbing booth, his greatest technical triumphs were masterful examples of studio craft, and he studiously avoided live performance. He was a gifted composer of songs for a wide variety of performers, having created vivid flights of imagination for the Ronettes, the Yardbirds and the Monkees, yet Nilsson's own biggest hits were almost all written, ironically, by other composers and lyricists. He won two Grammies, had two top ten singles, and numerous album successes. Once described by his producer Richard Perry as 'the finest white male singer on the planet,' near the end of his life, his career was marked by voice-damaging substance abuse. Kerry Shale reads extracts from this first ever full-length biography of Nilsson, in which author Alyn Shipton traces Nilsson's life from his Brooklyn childhood to his Los Angeles adolescence, and charts his gradual move into the spotlight as a talented songwriter. With interviews from Nilsson's friends, family and associates, and material drawn from an unfinished draft autobiography Nilsson was writing prior to his death, Shipton probes beneath the enigma and the paradox to discover the real Harry Nilsson, and reveals one of the most creative talents in 20th century popular music. Read by Kerry Shale NILSSON: THE LIFE OF A SINGER-SONGWRITER BY ALYN SHIPTON PRODUCER: JOANNA GREEN A financial stroke of luck enables Harry to give up his day job and focus on music.
03	20130828	Paul McCartney and John Lennon described him as the Beatles' 'favorite group,' and yet no figure in popular music is as much of a paradox as Harry Nilsson. A major celebrity at a time when stadium rock was in its infancy and huge concerts and festivals were becoming the norm, Nilsson's instrument was the studio, his stage the dubbing booth, his greatest technical triumphs were masterful examples of studio craft, and he studiously avoided live performance. He was a gifted composer of songs for a wide variety of performers, having created vivid flights of imagination for the Ronettes, the Yardbirds and the Monkees, yet Nilsson's own biggest hits were almost all written, ironically, by other composers and lyricists. He won two Grammies, had two top ten singles, and numerous album successes. Once described by his producer Richard Perry as 'the finest white male singer on the planet,' near the end of his life, his career was marked by voice-damaging substance abuse. Kerry Shale reads extracts from this first ever full-length biography of Nilsson, in which author Alyn Shipton traces Nilsson's life from his Brooklyn childhood to his Los Angeles adolescence, and charts his gradual move into the spotlight as a talented songwriter. With interviews from Nilsson's friends, family and associates, and material drawn from an unfinished draft autobiography Nilsson was writing prior to his death, Shipton probes beneath the enigma and the paradox to discover the real Harry Nilsson, and reveals one of the most creative talents in 20th century popular music. Reader: Kerry Shale NILSSON: THE LIFE OF A SINGER-SONGWRITER BY ALYN SHIPTON PRODUCER: JOANNA GREEN Despite success, Harry Nilsson's drinking and drug-taking spiral out of control.
04	20130829	Paul McCartney and John Lennon described him as the Beatles' 'favorite group,' and yet no figure in popular music is as much of a paradox as Harry Nilsson. A major celebrity at a time when stadium rock was in its infancy and huge concerts and festivals were becoming the norm, Nilsson's instrument was the studio, his stage the dubbing booth, his greatest technical triumphs were masterful examples of studio craft, and he studiously avoided live performance. He was a gifted composer of songs for a wide variety of performers, having created vivid flights of imagination for the Ronettes, the Yardbirds and the Monkees, yet Nilsson's own biggest hits were almost all written, ironically, by other composers and lyricists. He won two Grammies, had two top ten singles, and numerous album successes. Once described by his producer Richard Perry as 'the finest white male singer on the planet,' near the end of his life, his career was marked by voice-damaging substance abuse. Kerry Shale reads from this first ever full-length biography of Nilsson, in which author Alyn Shipton traces Nilsson's life from his Brooklyn childhood to his Los Angeles adolescence, and charts his gradual move into the spotlight as a talented songwriter. With interviews from Nilsson's friends, family and associates, and material drawn from an unfinished draft autobiography Nilsson was writing prior to his death, Shipton probes beneath the enigma and the paradox to discover the real Harry Nilsson, and reveals one of the most creative talents in 20th century popular music. Credits: NILSSON: THE LIFE OF A SINGER-SONGWRITER BY ALYN SHIPTON READER: KERRY SHALE PRODUCER: JOANNA GREEN. Having damaged his voice with drink and drugs Harry turns to a bizarre alternative therapy
05 LAST	20130830	Paul McCartney and John Lennon described him as the Beatles' 'favorite group,' and yet no figure in popular music is as much of a paradox as Harry Nilsson. A major celebrity at a time when stadium rock was in its infancy and huge concerts and festivals were becoming the norm, Nilsson's instrument was the studio, his stage the dubbing booth, his greatest technical triumphs were masterful examples of studio craft, and he studiously avoided live performance. He was a gifted composer of songs for a wide variety of performers, having created vivid flights of imagination for the Ronettes, the Yardbirds and the Monkees, yet Nilsson's own biggest hits were almost all written, ironically, by other composers and lyricists. He won two Grammies, had two top ten singles, and numerous album successes. Once described by his producer Richard Perry as 'the finest white male singer on the planet,' near the end of his life, his career was marked by voice-damaging substance abuse. Kerry Shale reads extracts from this first ever full-length biography of Nilsson, in which author Alyn Shipton traces Nilsson's life from his Brooklyn childhood to his Los Angeles adolescence, and charts his gradual move into the spotlight as a talented songwriter. With interviews from Nilsson's friends, family and associates, and material drawn from an unfinished draft autobiography Nilsson was writing prior to his death, Shipton probes beneath the enigma and the paradox to discover the real Harry Nilsson, and reveals one of the most creative talents in 20th century popular music. Credits: NILSSON: THE LIFE OF A SINGER-SONGWRITER BY ALYN SHIPTON Reader: Kerry Shale PRODUCER: JOANNA GREEN While Harry's excessive lifestyle continues, he is shocked by the death of a friend.