RICKY NELSON
Name: Eric Hilliard Nelson
Born: 8 May 1940 Teaneck, New Jersey
Died: 31 December 1985
Eric Hilliard "Ricky" Nelson, later known as Rick Nelson (May 8, 1940 - December
31, 1985), was an American singer, musician, and actor.
Born in Teaneck, New Jersey, he was the younger son of Ozzie Nelson, the leader
of a big band, and Harriet Hilliard Nelson, the band's singer. Along with
brother David Nelson, the family starred in the long-running radio and
television series The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet from 1944 to 1954 on the
radio, and 1952 to 1966 on television. However, David and Ricky Nelson did not
join the cast until 1949; for the first five years of the radio show, the sons
were played by professional actors.
Ricky Nelson began a rock and roll music career in 1957. He recorded his debut
single, the Fats Domino song "I'm Walkin'", seeking to impress a date who was an
Elvis Presley fan Nelson's first song was a hit, reaching #4 on the charts.
Soon, each episode of the Ozzie & Harriet television show ended with a musical
performance by "Ricky". It was during the sitcom's run that Ozzie Nelson, either
as a move to keep his son's fans tuned in each week, or as an affirmation of his
reputed behind-the-scenes persona as a controlling personality, kept Ricky from
appearing on other TV shows that arguably would have enhanced his public profile,
American Bandstand and The Ed Sullivan Show in particular. Ironically, Rick
finally did appear on the Sullivan show in 1967, but his career was at that time
in limbo. Rick also appeared on other TV shows (usually in acting roles). In
1977, he guest-hosted on Saturday Night Live, where he proved to be a good sport
in spoofing his TV sitcom image by appearing in a Twilight Zone send-up, where,
always trying to go "home", he'd find himself among the characters from other
1950s/early '60s-era sitcoms, Leave It to Beaver, Father Knows Best, and Make
Room for Daddy.
Despite the promotional aspects of his career, it is clear that Nelson knew and
loved music, and was a creditable performer before he became a teen idol,
largely due to his parents' musical background. In addition to guitar, he also
played drums and the clarinet. (He showcased his drum skills in the same episode
where he made his singing debut.) Unlike many teen idols of the time, Nelson
showed his personal taste in working with strong musicians, including James
Burton, Joe Maphis, The Jordanaires, and Johnny and Dorsey Burnette. While Elvis
may have served as the catalyst for Rick's musical career, his real inspiration
came from none other than Carl Perkins.
One of Ricky Nelson's best-selling singles, "Hello Mary Lou" / "Travelin' Man"
From 1957 to 1962, Nelson had thirty Top-40 hits, more than any other artist at
the time except Elvis Presley (who had 53) and Pat Boone (who had 38). Many of
Nelson's early records were double hits with both the A side and the B side
hitting the Billboard charts. When Billboard introduced the Hot 100 chart on
August 4, 1958, Nelson's single "Poor Little Fool" became the first song ever in
the #1 position on that chart.
While Nelson preferred rockabilly and uptempo rock songs like "Hello Mary Lou",
"It's Late", "Stood Up", and "Be-Bop Baby", his smooth, calm voice made him a
natural to sing ballads. He had major success with "Travelin' Man", "Poor Little
Fool", "Young World", "Lonesome Town", and "Teenage Idol", which clearly could
have been about Nelson himself at the time. (It was Life magazine that reputedly
coined the phrase "teen idol" in an article it did about Nelson in 1959).
In addition to his recording career, Nelson also appeared in movies, including
Rio Bravo with John Wayne and Dean Martin (1959), The Wackiest Ship In the Army
(1960), and Love and Kisses (1965).
On May 8, 1961 (his 21st birthday), Nelson officially changed his recording name
from "Ricky Nelson" to "Rick Nelson". However, not too long before his untimely
death, Rick realized a dream of his, when he met his idol, Carl Perkins, who,
while musing that they were the last of the "rockabilly breed", called Nelson "Ricky".
As the story goes, Nelson felt somehow validated by Perkins calling him by the
name he stopped using at age 21. He then contacted his manager, who was then
instructed to restore the "y" to his name.
In 1963, Nelson signed a 20-year contract with Decca Records, but he had no
further major hits after 1964's "For You". In the mid-1960s, he began to move
towards country music, becoming a pioneer in the country-rock genre. As a result,
he was one of the early influences of the so-called "California Sound" (which
would include singers like Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt, and other bands like
The Eagles). Yet Nelson himself did not reach the Top 40 again until 1970, when
he recorded Bob Dylan's "She Belongs to Me" with the Stone Canyon Band. This
most likely included drummer Kevin Edwards, who still lives to tell his story
today. In 1972, Nelson reached the Top 40 one last time with "Garden Party", a
song he wrote in disgust after a Madison Square Garden audience booed him when
he tried playing new songs instead of just his old hits from the 1950s and 1960s.
"Garden Party" reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Billboard Adult
Contemporary chart, and was certified as a gold single. (Coincidentally, "Garden
Party" was a hit at the same time Elvis Presley was having his last Top-10
single, "Burning Love", as was Chuck Berry with "My Ding-a-Ling". (Berry is
among the musicians alluded to in the lyrics of "Garden Party".)
Nelson married Kristin Harmon in April 1963, in what Life referred to as "The
Wedding of the Year". Harmon is the daughter of Football All-American University
of Michigan football legend and Heisman Trophy winner Tom Harmon and actress
Elyse Knox, and is the older sister of movie and television star Mark Harmon,
perhaps known best for the hit series NCIS.
The couple had one daughter, Tracy (born October 25, 1963), twin sons Gunnar and
Matthew (born September 20, 1967), and a third son, Sam Nelson (born August 29,
1974).
After "Garden Party", Ricky Nelson never regained his career's momentum. By the
late 1970s, his life was in shambles and he was heavily in debt. After a highly
tumultuous marriage (the antithesis of what the public had seen on Ozzie and
Harriet and in Love and Kisses), Kristin filed for divorce and took their four
children. He wasn't making records and when he played live at all, it was in
very small insignificant venues. Nelson began using drugs, especially marijuana
and eventually cocaine.
In 1985, Nelson joined a nostalgia rock tour of England. It was a major success,
and it revived some interest in his work. He tried to duplicate that effect in
the United States, and he began a tour of the South. While on that tour, on his
way to a New Year's Eve concert in Dallas, Texas, he died in a plane crash in De
Kalb, Texas. Nelson was buried in the Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills Cemetery in
Los Angeles, California. The last song he sang on stage before his death was
Buddy Holly's "Rave On." Holly had also perished in a plane crash.
Rumors that drug use among the passengers caused the crash frequently resurface,
but the original NTSB investigation long ago stated that the crash was probably
due to mechanical problems. The pilots attempted to land in a field after smoke
filled the cabin. An examination indicated that a fire originated in the right
hand side of the aft cabin area at or near the floor line. The passengers were
killed when the aircraft struck obstacles during the forced landing; the pilots
were able to escape through the cockpit windows and survived. The ignition and
fuel sources of the fire could not be determined, although many believe that the
most likely cause was a defective cabin heater. The pilot indicated that the
crew tried to turn on the cabin heater repeatedly shortly before the fire
occurred, but that it failed to respond. After the fire, the access panel to the
heater compartment was found unlatched. The theory is supported by records that
showed that DC-3s in general, and this aircraft in particular, had a previous
history of problems with the cabin heaters.
Name: Eric Hilliard Nelson
Born: 8 May 1940 Teaneck, New Jersey
Died: 31 December 1985
Eric Hilliard "Ricky" Nelson, later known as Rick Nelson (May 8, 1940 - December
31, 1985), was an American singer, musician, and actor.
Born in Teaneck, New Jersey, he was the younger son of Ozzie Nelson, the leader
of a big band, and Harriet Hilliard Nelson, the band's singer. Along with
brother David Nelson, the family starred in the long-running radio and
television series The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet from 1944 to 1954 on the
radio, and 1952 to 1966 on television. However, David and Ricky Nelson did not
join the cast until 1949; for the first five years of the radio show, the sons
were played by professional actors.
Ricky Nelson began a rock and roll music career in 1957. He recorded his debut
single, the Fats Domino song "I'm Walkin'", seeking to impress a date who was an
Elvis Presley fan Nelson's first song was a hit, reaching #4 on the charts.
Soon, each episode of the Ozzie & Harriet television show ended with a musical
performance by "Ricky". It was during the sitcom's run that Ozzie Nelson, either
as a move to keep his son's fans tuned in each week, or as an affirmation of his
reputed behind-the-scenes persona as a controlling personality, kept Ricky from
appearing on other TV shows that arguably would have enhanced his public profile,
American Bandstand and The Ed Sullivan Show in particular. Ironically, Rick
finally did appear on the Sullivan show in 1967, but his career was at that time
in limbo. Rick also appeared on other TV shows (usually in acting roles). In
1977, he guest-hosted on Saturday Night Live, where he proved to be a good sport
in spoofing his TV sitcom image by appearing in a Twilight Zone send-up, where,
always trying to go "home", he'd find himself among the characters from other
1950s/early '60s-era sitcoms, Leave It to Beaver, Father Knows Best, and Make
Room for Daddy.
Despite the promotional aspects of his career, it is clear that Nelson knew and
loved music, and was a creditable performer before he became a teen idol,
largely due to his parents' musical background. In addition to guitar, he also
played drums and the clarinet. (He showcased his drum skills in the same episode
where he made his singing debut.) Unlike many teen idols of the time, Nelson
showed his personal taste in working with strong musicians, including James
Burton, Joe Maphis, The Jordanaires, and Johnny and Dorsey Burnette. While Elvis
may have served as the catalyst for Rick's musical career, his real inspiration
came from none other than Carl Perkins.
One of Ricky Nelson's best-selling singles, "Hello Mary Lou" / "Travelin' Man"
From 1957 to 1962, Nelson had thirty Top-40 hits, more than any other artist at
the time except Elvis Presley (who had 53) and Pat Boone (who had 38). Many of
Nelson's early records were double hits with both the A side and the B side
hitting the Billboard charts. When Billboard introduced the Hot 100 chart on
August 4, 1958, Nelson's single "Poor Little Fool" became the first song ever in
the #1 position on that chart.
While Nelson preferred rockabilly and uptempo rock songs like "Hello Mary Lou",
"It's Late", "Stood Up", and "Be-Bop Baby", his smooth, calm voice made him a
natural to sing ballads. He had major success with "Travelin' Man", "Poor Little
Fool", "Young World", "Lonesome Town", and "Teenage Idol", which clearly could
have been about Nelson himself at the time. (It was Life magazine that reputedly
coined the phrase "teen idol" in an article it did about Nelson in 1959).
In addition to his recording career, Nelson also appeared in movies, including
Rio Bravo with John Wayne and Dean Martin (1959), The Wackiest Ship In the Army
(1960), and Love and Kisses (1965).
On May 8, 1961 (his 21st birthday), Nelson officially changed his recording name
from "Ricky Nelson" to "Rick Nelson". However, not too long before his untimely
death, Rick realized a dream of his, when he met his idol, Carl Perkins, who,
while musing that they were the last of the "rockabilly breed", called Nelson "Ricky".
As the story goes, Nelson felt somehow validated by Perkins calling him by the
name he stopped using at age 21. He then contacted his manager, who was then
instructed to restore the "y" to his name.
In 1963, Nelson signed a 20-year contract with Decca Records, but he had no
further major hits after 1964's "For You". In the mid-1960s, he began to move
towards country music, becoming a pioneer in the country-rock genre. As a result,
he was one of the early influences of the so-called "California Sound" (which
would include singers like Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt, and other bands like
The Eagles). Yet Nelson himself did not reach the Top 40 again until 1970, when
he recorded Bob Dylan's "She Belongs to Me" with the Stone Canyon Band. This
most likely included drummer Kevin Edwards, who still lives to tell his story
today. In 1972, Nelson reached the Top 40 one last time with "Garden Party", a
song he wrote in disgust after a Madison Square Garden audience booed him when
he tried playing new songs instead of just his old hits from the 1950s and 1960s.
"Garden Party" reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Billboard Adult
Contemporary chart, and was certified as a gold single. (Coincidentally, "Garden
Party" was a hit at the same time Elvis Presley was having his last Top-10
single, "Burning Love", as was Chuck Berry with "My Ding-a-Ling". (Berry is
among the musicians alluded to in the lyrics of "Garden Party".)
Nelson married Kristin Harmon in April 1963, in what Life referred to as "The
Wedding of the Year". Harmon is the daughter of Football All-American University
of Michigan football legend and Heisman Trophy winner Tom Harmon and actress
Elyse Knox, and is the older sister of movie and television star Mark Harmon,
perhaps known best for the hit series NCIS.
The couple had one daughter, Tracy (born October 25, 1963), twin sons Gunnar and
Matthew (born September 20, 1967), and a third son, Sam Nelson (born August 29,
1974).
After "Garden Party", Ricky Nelson never regained his career's momentum. By the
late 1970s, his life was in shambles and he was heavily in debt. After a highly
tumultuous marriage (the antithesis of what the public had seen on Ozzie and
Harriet and in Love and Kisses), Kristin filed for divorce and took their four
children. He wasn't making records and when he played live at all, it was in
very small insignificant venues. Nelson began using drugs, especially marijuana
and eventually cocaine.
In 1985, Nelson joined a nostalgia rock tour of England. It was a major success,
and it revived some interest in his work. He tried to duplicate that effect in
the United States, and he began a tour of the South. While on that tour, on his
way to a New Year's Eve concert in Dallas, Texas, he died in a plane crash in De
Kalb, Texas. Nelson was buried in the Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills Cemetery in
Los Angeles, California. The last song he sang on stage before his death was
Buddy Holly's "Rave On." Holly had also perished in a plane crash.
Rumors that drug use among the passengers caused the crash frequently resurface,
but the original NTSB investigation long ago stated that the crash was probably
due to mechanical problems. The pilots attempted to land in a field after smoke
filled the cabin. An examination indicated that a fire originated in the right
hand side of the aft cabin area at or near the floor line. The passengers were
killed when the aircraft struck obstacles during the forced landing; the pilots
were able to escape through the cockpit windows and survived. The ignition and
fuel sources of the fire could not be determined, although many believe that the
most likely cause was a defective cabin heater. The pilot indicated that the
crew tried to turn on the cabin heater repeatedly shortly before the fire
occurred, but that it failed to respond. After the fire, the access panel to the
heater compartment was found unlatched. The theory is supported by records that
showed that DC-3s in general, and this aircraft in particular, had a previous
history of problems with the cabin heaters.