Tim Freedman as Harry Nilsson at The Hayes
Everybody's Talkin’ ‘bout me starring Tim Freedman as Harry Nilsson will play at Hayes Theatre Co from Monday 13 April - Sunday 19 April, 2015.
In Everybody's Talkin' ‘bout me, Tim sings the songs of legendary hard-living American recording artist and Grammy Award winner Harry Nilsson. With American accent, beard and cap, Freedman inhabits the role of the eccentric good-time rapscallion, throwing in anecdotes from the rise and fall of one of the greatest singers and cleverest songwriters of all time. Hits such as Everybody’s Talkin’, One, Without You, and Cuddly Toy are all interpreted by Freedman at the piano in the most classic form of traditional cabaret.
Tim Freedman premiered an early version of the show in 2014 at The Adelaide Cabaret Festival where Barry Humphries was moved to attend twice.
Harry Nilsson’s music triumphed in the 1960s and 1970s. He won a Grammy in 1969 for Everybody’s Talkin’ which was the theme song for the film Midnight Cowboy and another in 1972 for Without You. John Lennon and Paul McCartney were huge fans, calling Nilsson their “favourite American group”. Nilsson was a huge fan of Randy Newman and in 1970 put his own songwriting aside and recorded Nilsson Sings Newman.
Tim Freedman similarly puts his own well-known catalogue aside and pays tribute to an inspiring artist in Everybody’s Talkin’ ‘about me. Nilsson was a successful studio artist but terrible stage fright stopped him performing professionally, ever. The show is Freedman’s live imagining of what a Nilsson concert would have been like.
Tim Freedman is best known as the lead singer of Australian band The Whitlams. The Whitlams won three ARIA Awards in 1998 including “Best Group” and “Song of the Year”. In 2011 the Eternal Nightcap album was placed 27th on the ABC's "My Favourite Album" poll, and more recently was voted no. 17 in"JJJ's Hottest Australian Albums of All Time".