▁designs <0x0A> </s> ▁Frederick ▁Neil ▁( M arch ▁ 1 6 , ▁ 1 9 3 6 ▁– ▁July ▁ 7 , ▁ 2 0 0 1 ) ▁was ▁an ▁American ▁folk ▁singer - song writer ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁and ▁early ▁ 1 9 7 0 s . ▁He ▁did ▁not ▁achieve ▁commercial ▁success ▁as ▁a ▁perform er ▁and ▁is ▁mainly ▁known ▁through ▁other ▁people ' s ▁record ings ▁of ▁his ▁material   – ▁particularly ▁" Every body ' s ▁T alk in ' ", ▁which ▁became ▁a ▁hit ▁for ▁Harry ▁Nil sson ▁after ▁it ▁was ▁used ▁in ▁the ▁film ▁Mid night ▁Cow boy ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 9 . ▁Though ▁highly ▁regarded ▁by ▁contemporary ▁folk ▁sing ers , ▁he ▁was ▁rel uct ant ▁to ▁tour ▁and ▁spent ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁last ▁ 3 0 ▁years ▁of ▁his ▁life ▁assist ing ▁with ▁the ▁pres ervation ▁of ▁dol ph ins . ▁ ▁Biography ▁Born ▁in ▁Cleveland , ▁Ohio , ▁and ▁raised ▁in ▁St . ▁Petersburg , ▁Florida , ▁Neil ▁was ▁exposed ▁to ▁music ▁at ▁an ▁early ▁age , ▁trav elling ▁around ▁the ▁US ▁with ▁his ▁father , ▁who ▁was ▁a ▁representative ▁for ▁W url itzer ▁ju ke box es . ▁Neil ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁singer - song writ ers ▁who ▁worked ▁out ▁of ▁New ▁York ▁City ' s ▁Br ill ▁Building , ▁a ▁center ▁for ▁music ▁industry ▁offices . ▁While ▁compos ing ▁at ▁the ▁Br ill ▁Building ▁for ▁other ▁artists , ▁Neil ▁also ▁recorded ▁six ▁mostly ▁rock