When The Beatles refer to you in the press as the unofficial fifth member of the band, you must be doing something right. Such was the case with Harry Nilsson, a vocally gifted singer/songwriter from New York. Born in Brooklyn in 1941, he moved to Los Angeles at a young age, where he aimed to become a popular vocalist. His pure and soaring voice, in addition to his extremely melodic and playful knack for songwriting, ensured he'd eventually find work, and by 1963 he was writing material for the likes of Little Richard and Phil Spector. A few years later, Nilsson really began to come into his own as a writer, singer and arranger with the release of his second LP, Pandemonium Shadow Show. The album showcased his ability to craft pristine vocal pop that was heavily-inspired by the harmonic work and psychedelic tendencies of The Beatles, his admitted heroes. Over the next decade, Nilsson would pen a number of popular songs, such as "Everybody's Talkin'" (used famously in the film Midnight Cowboy), "Coconut" and "One," which became extremely successful when it was rerecorded by Three Dog Night. Toward the end of his career, Nilsson's hard-partying ways would catch up with him, ultimately taking a huge toll on his voice and health. He had a chance to work with one of his heroes in 1974, however, when he collaborated on the excellent Pussycats LP with John Lennon. He died at home in 1994, after enduring severe heart failure.