"That incident ruined my reputation for 10 years. Get one Beatle drunk and look what happens!"

The quote attributed to Harry Nilsson, "That event ruined my credibility for 10 years. Get one Beatle intoxicated and look what takes place!" shows an appealing peek into a moment in his life that was intertwined with the renowned Beatles. Nilsson, a well-known singer-songwriter, and Paul McCartney and John Lennon, members of The Beatles, were known for their celebratory way of lives throughout the high years of their fame. The particular incident Nilsson describes is most likely connected to an infamous episode in the early 1970s that involved John Lennon.

Throughout that period, John Lennon went through a stage referred to as the "Lost Weekend", a span of around 18 months where he separated from Yoko Ono and lived a tumultuous way of life in Los Angeles with his individual assistant, May Pang. Nilsson was a pal of Lennon, and they often found themselves in the company of other rock stars, enjoying partying and excess. A particularly infamous event occurred throughout this time at the Troubadour Club in Los Angeles, where an intoxicated Lennon, using a tampon on his head, was ejected from the location after triggering a disturbance. Nilsson was present at this event, and his participation, though not directly accountable for the mayhem, led to public associations with the fiasco.

Nilsson's quote humorously minimizes his role while simultaneously lamenting the long-term impacts on his own credibility. By saying, "Get one Beatle drunk and look what happens", he moves the focus to the larger-than-life impact the Beatles had. In jest, he highlights the outsized effects that accompanied interactions with them. The occurrence became part of the rock 'n' roll lore that added to the mythos of the era however had individual implications for Nilsson's public image. It exhibited how a single event, magnified by popularity and media, could overshadow years of a person's career, leaving remaining impacts on individual and professional fronts.