Eric Hilliard "Ricky" Nelson, later known as Rick Nelson (May 8, 1940 – December 31, 1985), was an American singer, musician and actor. He placed 53 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 between 1957 and 1973, including 19 top-ten hits.[1] Nelson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. In April 1963, Nelson married Sharon Kristin Harmon, daughter of football great Tom Harmon, and became the father of their four children, Tracy Kristine, twin sons Gunnar Eric and Matthew Gray, and Sam Hilliard. In February 1981, Nelson and Georgeann Crewe became the father of a son, Eric Jude.
Early years
Eric Hilliard "Ricky" Nelson was born the second son of Ozzie Nelson, the leader of a big band, and his wife, Harriet Hilliard Nelson, the band's singer, on May 8, 1940 at 1:25 p.m. at Holy Name Hospital in Teaneck, New Jersey. With his parents and brother David, Nelson 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.Career
Nelson, who was the first teen idol to utilize television to promote hit records, began a rock and roll music career in 1957. He recorded his debut single, the Fats Domino song "I'm Walking", seeking to impress a date who was an Elvis Presley fan. In the Ozzie and Harriet episode, "Ricky the Drummer", Nelson got the chance to perform the song. The song went on to reach number 4 on the charts while the flip-side, "A Teenager's Romance," went to number 2. Soon, most episodes of the Ozzie & Harriet television show ended with a musical performance by "Ricky". Ozzie Nelson even had the idea to edit footage together to create some of the first music videos. This creative editing can be seen in videos Ozzie produced for "Travelin' Man." Ozzie was able to get Elvis Presley's backup singers to sing on Rick's albums, and Rick had an impressive guitar player named James Burton.
During the sitcom's run Ozzie Nelson, either to keep his son's fans tuned in or as an affirmation of his reputed behind-the-scenes persona as a controlling personality, kept his son from appearing on other television shows that could have enhanced his public profile, American Bandstand and The Ed Sullivan Show in particular. Nelson finally did appear on the Sullivan show in 1967, but his career by that time was in limbo. He also appeared on other television shows (usually in acting roles). In 1973, he had an acting role in an episode of The Streets of San Francisco, in which he played the part of a hippy flute-playing leader of a harem of young prostitutes. In 1979, he guest-hosted on Saturday Night Live, in which he spoofed his television sitcom image by appearing in a Twilight Zone send-up, in which, always trying to go "home", he finds himself among the characters from other 1950s/early 1960s-era sitcoms, Leave It to Beaver, Father Knows Best, Make Room for Daddy, and I Love Lucy.
Nelson knew and loved music, and was a skilled performer even before he became a teen idol, largely because of his parents' musical background. In addition to guitar, he played drums and the clarinet. (He showcased his drum skills in the same episode in which he made his singing debut.) Nelson worked with many musicians of repute, including James Burton, Joe Osborn, and Allen "Puddler" Harris, all natives of Louisiana, and Joe Maphis, The Jordanaires, Scotty Moore and Johnny and Dorsey Burnette. While Presley may have served as the catalyst for Nelson's musical career, his real inspiration was Carl Perkins.
From 1957 to 1962, Nelson had thirty Top-40 hits, more than any other artist at the time except Presley (who had 53) and Pat Boone (38). Many of Nelson's early records were double hits with both the A and B sides 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 number 1 position on that chart.
While Nelson preferred rockabilly and uptempo rock songs like "Believe What You Say" (Hot 100 number 4), "I Got A Feeling" (Hot 100 number 10), "My Bucket's Got A Hole In It" (Hot 100 number 12), "Hello Mary Lou" (Hot 100 number 9), "It's Late" (Hot 100 number 9), "Stood Up" (Hot 100 number 2), "Waitin' In School" (Hot 100 number 18), "Be-Bop Baby" (Hot 100 number 3), and "Just A Little Too Much" (Hot 100 number 9), his smooth, calm voice made him a natural to sing ballads. He had major success with "Travelin' Man" (Hot 100 number 1), "A Teenager's Romance" (Hot 100 number 2), "Poor Little Fool" (Hot 100 number 1), "Young World" (Hot 100 number 5), "Lonesome Town" (Hot 100 number 7), "Never Be Anyone Else But You" (Hot 100 number 6), "Sweeter Than You" (Hot 100 number 9), "It's Up To You" (Hot 100 number 6), and "Teenage Idol" (Hot 100 number 5), which clearly could have been about Nelson himself.
In addition to his recording career, Nelson appeared in movies, including the Howard Hawks western classic Rio Bravo with John Wayne and Dean Martin (1959), plus 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, Nelson realized a dream of his. He met his idol, Carl Perkins, who, while musing that they were the last of the "rockabilly breed", addressed Nelson as "Ricky". In 1963, Nelson signed a 20-year contract with Decca Records. After some early successes with the label, most notably 1964's "For You", a number-9 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, Nelson's chart career came to a dramatic halt in the wake of The British Invasion.
In the mid-1960s, Nelson began to move towards country music, becoming a pioneer in the country-rock genre. He was one of the early influences of the so-called "California Sound" (which would include singers like Jackson Browne and Linda Ronstadt and 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.
Garden party
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. He wanted to record an album featuring original material, but the single was released before the album because Nelson had not completed the entire Garden Party album yet. "Garden Party" reached number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 1 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart and was certified as a gold single. The second single release from the album was "Palace Guard", which reached number 65 in the charts.
Nelson was with MCA at the time, and his comeback was shortlived. Nelson's band soon resigned, and MCA wanted Nelson to have a producer on his next album. His band moved to Aspen and changed their name to "Canyon". Nelson soon put together a new Stone Canyon band, and began to tour for the Garden Party album. Nelson still played nightclubs and bars, but soon advanced to higher-paying venues because of the success of "Garden Party". In 1974 MCA was at odds as to what to do with the former teen idol. Albums like Windfall failed to have an impact. Nelson became an attraction at theme parks like Knott's Berry Farm and Disneyland. He also started appearing in minor roles on television shows.
Nelson tried to score another hit, but was not having any luck with songs like "Rock and Roll Lady". With seven years to go on his contract, MCA dropped him from the label.
Nelson studied Karate earning a brown belt, before going on to learn Jeet Kune Do under Dan Inosanto. Inosanto described Nelson as a "good martial artist for those times".
Marriage, family, and troubles
Nelson married Sharon Kristin Harmon (born June 25, 1945) on April 20, 1963, before 400 guests in a 30-minute Catholic ceremony in St. Martin of Tours Church in Hollywood. Nelson, a non-practicing Protestant, received instruction in Catholicism at the insistence of the bride's parents (football great Thomas Dudley Harmon and actress Elyse Knox (née Elsie Kornbrath), and signed a pledge to have any children of the union baptized in the Catholic faith. Harmon is the older sister of Kelly and actor Mark Harmon.
The couple had one daughter, Tracy Kristine (born October 25, 1963), twin sons Gunnar Eric and Matthew Gray (born September 20, 1967), and a fourth child, Sam Hilliard (born August 29, 1974). Tracy became an actress, and Gunnar and Matthew performed as the band Nelson. Sam founded and performed with the group H Is Orange in the early 2000s.
On February 14, 1981, Nelson and a 35 year-old married woman named Georgeann Crewe became the parents of a son, Eric Jude. A 1985 blood test revealed that Nelson was indeed the father. Nelson wanted nothing to do with the boy but agreed to pay $400 a month in support. Crewe confronted Nelson shortly before his death and later claimed he agreed to participate more fully in the life of their son, but the claim was denied by Nelson's manager Greg McDonald. Crewe continued to solicit aid from Nelson and, after his death, his estate.
Nelson and his wife divorced in December 1982 with Kristin receiving custody of their four children. He still recorded periodically, but commercial success eluded him. Nelson's primary source of income was non-stop touring, ranging from intimate clubs and bars to the county and state fairs where he attracted large crowds that remembered him from his days as a teen idol.
Death
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. Nelson and his band boarded a plane after a show at a small club in Guntersville, Alabama headed to the KLUV-FM New Year's Eve Sock-Hop concert in Dallas, Texas. The plane crashed northeast of Dallas in De Kalb, Texas killing Nelson; his fiancée, Helen Blair; bassist Patrick Woodward, drummer Rick Intveld and three others. Nelson was buried in the Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles, California.
The NTSB investigation 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 had originated in the righthand 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 gasoline 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 had a previous history of problems with the cabin heaters. Despite these findings, rumors persisted that the fire was due to the band freebasing cocaine.
Tributes
Nelson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, and also to the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1515 Vine Street.
In commemoration of the 20th anniversary of Ricky Nelson's passing, PBS aired a one-hour documentary entitled Ricky Nelson Sings featuring interviews with his children, as well as James Burton and Kris Kristofferson. The only time Kristofferson played with Nelson was in Elroy, Wisconsin at a "Party in the Park" show on July 3, 1985. That performance has since been released on DVD.
The American rock n roll band The Cramps dedicated their 1986 album A Date With Elvis to the memory of Ricky Nelson, as written on the album's back cover before the credits.
The song "Ricky" (originally titled "Ricky Nelson"), track 4 on John Frusciante's 2004 album Shadows Collide with People, is a tribute to Nelson, and is sung in a similar style.
Bob Dylan, in his 2004 memoir, "Chronicles, Vol. 1", wrote about Nelson's influence on his music. Also in 2004, Rolling Stone ranked Nelson number 91 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.
On December 27, 2005, EMI Music released an album titled Ricky Nelson's Greatest Hits, with 25 songs. It peaked at number 56 on the Billboard 200 album chart.
In Stephen King's short-story collection Nightmares & Dreamscapes, Nelson appears in "You Know They Got a Hell of a Band" as an evil version of himself, who torments an unsuspecting couple trapped in a town inhabited by late rock 'n' roll legends. Nelson was portrayed by William McNamara in the 2006 television mini-series adaptation, Nightmares and Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King.
Nelson's estate is run as The Rick Nelson Company, LLC, and owns ancillary rights to the classic Ozzie and Harriet television series. As of 2007, after years of public-domain video releases on VHS and DVD, an official edition of the show has been released through Shout! Factory.
Albums (highest chart success on the Billboard charts)
- Ricky (1957) (1)
- Ricky Nelson (1958) (7)
- Ricky Sings Again (1959) (14)
- Songs by Ricky (1959) (22)
- More Songs by Ricky (1960) (18)
- Rick Is 21 (1961) (8)
- Album Seven by Rick (1962) (27)
- Best Sellers By Rick Nelson (1963) (112)
- It's Up to You (1963) (128)
- For Your Sweet Love (1963) (20)
- Rick Nelson Sings "For You" (1964) (14)
- A Long Vacation (1963)
- The Very Thought of You (1964)
- Best Always (1965)
- Spotlight on Rick (1965)
- Bright Lights & Country Music (1966)
- Love and Kisses (1966)
- Country Fever (1967)
- I Need You (1968)
- Perspective (1968)
- Another Side of Rick (1969)
- In Concert at the Troubadour, 1969 (1970)
- Rick Nelson in Concert (1970) (54)
- Rick Sings Nelson (1970) (196)
- Rudy the Fifth (1971)
- Garden Party (1972) (32)
- Windfall (1974) (190)
- Intakes (1977)
- Playing to Win (1981) (153)
- Four You (1981)
- All My Best (1985)
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