Who Was Fred Neil? | The Forgotten Writer Behind Everybody’s Talkin’

Indexed: 2026-05-17

[00:00:00]Most people remember this song through Harry Nilsson and the film Midnight Cowboy.

[00:00:05]>> [music] >> But the world remembered the song but almost forgot the man who wrote it.

[00:00:10]Fred Neil wrote Everybody's Talking in 1966. [music] A quiet songwriter admired by artists like Bob Dylan.

[00:00:18]>> [music] >> But unlike many musicians of that era, he never seemed comfortable with fame.

[00:00:23]When Harry Nilsson recorded the song and it became iconic after [music] appearing in Midnight Cowboy. But while the song traveled across the world, Fred Neil slowly stepped [music] away from the spotlight. He rarely toured and spent most of his life helping protect dolphins. [music] There's something quite moving about that. Writing one of the most recognizable [music] songs of his generation and then quietly walking away.

[00:00:47]Beneath that gentle melody is [music] the feeling of wanting to escape the pressure and the voices around us.

[00:00:53]>> [music] >> And it makes you think some of the songs that echo the longest come from the quietest of souls.