History Music / RickyNelson

His first #1 hit for the label was his cover of Sharon Sheeley's "Poor Little Fool", which sold over two million copies. From 1957 to 1962, he was one of the most prolific musicians in rock and roll with thirty songs in the US Top 40--at the time only behind Music/ElvisPresley (53) and Music/PatBoone (38)--including his second #1, 1961's "Travelin' Man". On May 8, 1961, he changed his recording name to Rick Nelson, though the Ricky moniker has stuck, especially among those familiar with his singing and acting career (which included ''Film/RioBravo'' and ''Film/TheWackiestShipInTheArmy'').

Then in the mid-60's, just after signing a 20-year deal with Creator/DeccaRecords in 1963, the hits came to a halt, as the UsefulNotes/TheBritishInvasion and the rise of the counterculture rendered his style passé. Rather than chase trends, Nelson formed the Stone Canyon Band and transitioned his music to country rock, where he was an early influence to the California Sound, and in turn the likes of Music/JacksonBrowne, Music/LindaRonstadt and the Music/{{Eagles}} (Eagle Randy Meisner had been in the Stone Canyon Band). 1972's "Garden Party", about an incident at a Richard Nader Oldies concert at Madison Square Garden on October 15, 1971, where the audience booed him (possibly for his playing new songs rather than his oldies) was his final Top 40 hit and has more recently come to be regarded as his SignatureSong.

His first #1 hit for the label was his cover of Sharon Sheeley's "Poor Little Fool", which sold over two million copies. From 1957 to 1962, he was one of the most prolific musicians in rock and roll with thirty songs in the US Top 40, at the time only behind Music/ElvisPresley (53) and Music/PatBoone (38). On May 8, 1961, he changed his recording name to Rick Nelson, though the Ricky moniker has stuck, especially among those familiar with his singing and acting career (which included ''Film/RioBravo'' and ''Film/TheWackiestShipInTheArmy'').

Eric Hilliard "Ricky" Nelson (May 8, 1940 – December 31, 1985) was an American musician and actor. The son of bandleader Ozzie Nelson and his wife, singer Harriet Hilliard Nelson, Ricky joined the cast of his parents' radio {{Sitcom}} ''Series/TheAdventuresOfOzzieAndHarriet'' in 1949, at age 9, alongside his older brother David. All four Nelsons made the jump to television in 1952. Ricky, blessed with good looks and charisma, became the show's BreakoutCharacter in the next few years. Skilled in playing several instruments, Ricky became interested in the burgeoning RockAndRoll movement, and he convinced Ozzie to let him start a solo career in music. He recorded a CoverVersion of Music/FatsDomino's "I'm Walkin'" for Creator/VerveRecords, and Ozzie used an entire episode of the show ("Ricky the Drummer", which aired April 10, 1957) as a showcase for the song, climaxing with Ricky singing and playing drums on it. It became a big hit that caught the attention of Fats' label Imperial Records, who signed Ricky to a five-year deal.

* TeenIdol: During the days of Rock and Roll, Ricky was a breakout star in ''Series/TheAdventuresOfOzzieAndHarriet'' and parlayed this into a music career alongside acting.

Embarking on a comeback tour toward the end of 1985, Nelson and his band flew in Nelson's private aircraft ([[TheAllegedCar a propeller plane built in 1944]]) from Alabama on their way to a scheduled New Year's Eve show in Dallas, Texas, but the plane's heater caught on fire, causing it to crash west of Texarkana, killing him, his fiancée Helen Blair and five others on board. A multitalented performing career and an untimely death were traits that he shared with his grandfather George Nelson (a {{Vaudeville}} performer who died at age 47) and father Ozzie (who died in 1975 at age 69). He was posthumously inducted into the UsefulNotes/RockAndRollHallOfFame in its second ever class in 1987, and was listed in Magazine/RollingStone's list of 100 Greatest Artists of All Time in 2004, at #91.

Eric Hilliard "Ricky" Nelson (May 8, 1940 – December 31, 1985) was an American musician and actor. He was born to actors/musicians Ozzie and Harriet Nelson and was featured in 1952 in ''Series/TheAdventuresOfOzzieAndHarriet'' alongside his brother David. In time Ricky had become a teen idol and Ozzie found that his young son had a talent for music that he incorporated the singing. Then on the April 10, 1957 episode "Ricky the Drummer", Ricky sang and played the drums for the Music/FatsDomino song "I'm Walkin", which was a hit that caught the attention of Fats' label Imperial Records, who signed Ricky to a five-year deal.

His first number one hit under the label was his cover of Sharon Sheeley's "Poor Little Fool", which sold over two million copies. From 1957 to 1962, he was one of the most prolific musicians in rock and roll with thirty songs in the US Top 40, at the time only behind Music/ElvisPresley (53) and Music/PatBoone (38). On May 8, 1961, he changed his recording name to Rick Nelson, though the Ricky moniker has stuck, especially among those familiar with his singing and acting career (which included ''Film/RioBravo'' and ''Film/TheWackiestShipInTheArmy'').

Then in the mid-60's, just after signing a 20-year deal with Creator/DeccaRecords in 1963, the hits have come to a halt after a combination of UsefulNotes/TheBritishInvasion and the Counterculture. Nelson formed the Stone Canyon Band and transitioned his music to Country, where he was an early influence to the California Sound, and in turn the likes of Music/JacksonBrowne, Music/LindaRonstadt and the Music/{{Eagles}} (Eagle Randy Meisner had been in the Stone Canyon Band). 1972's "Garden Party", about an incident at a Richard Nader Oldies concert at Madison Square Garden on October 15, 1971, where the audience booed him (possibly for his playing new songs rather than his oldies) was his final Top 40 hit and has more recently come to be regarded as his SignatureSong.

* RearrangeTheSong: He released a new version of his 1958 hit "Believe What You Say" in 1981.

* TheCoverChangesTheMeaning: CountryMusic singer Johnny Lee had a hit on the country chart in 1977 with "Country Party", which is simply "Garden Party" with the names of country stars in place of the lines about Music/JohnLennon, Music/YokoOno and Music/BobDylan.

Embarking on a comeback tour toward the end of 1985, Nelson and his band flew in Nelson's private aircraft ([[TheAllegedCar a propeller plane built in 1944]]) from Alabama on their way to a scheduled New Year's Eve show in Dallas, Texas, but the plane's heater caught on fire, causing it to crash west of Texarkana, killing him, his fiancée Helen Blair and five others on board. A multitalented performing career and an untimely death were traits that he shared with his grandfather George Nelson (a {{Vaudeville}} performer who died at age 47) and father Ozzie (who died in 1974 at age 69). He was posthumously inducted into the UsefulNotes/RockAndRollHallOfFame in its second ever class in 1987, and was listed in Magazine/RollingStone's list of 100 Greatest Artists of All Time in 2004, at #91.

Embarking on a comeback tour toward the end of 1985, Nelson and his band flew in Nelson's private aircraft ([[TheAllegedCar a propeller plane built in 1944]]) from Alabama on their way to a scheduled New Year's Eve show in Dallas, Texas, but the plane's heater caught on fire, causing it to crash west of Texarkana, killing him, his fiancée Helen Blair and five others on board. He was posthumously inducted into the UsefulNotes/RockAndRollHallOfFame in its second ever class in 1987, and was listed in Magazine/RollingStone's list of 100 Greatest Artists of All Time in 2004, at #91.

Embarking on a comeback tour toward the end of 1985, Nelson and his band flew in Nelson's private aircraft ([[WhatAPieceOfJunk a propeller plane built in 1944]]) from Alabama on their way to a scheduled New Year's Eve show in Dallas, Texas, but the plane's heater caught on fire, causing it to crash west of Texarkana, killing him, his fiancée Helen Blair and five others on board. He was posthumously inducted into the UsefulNotes/RockAndRollHallOfFame in its second ever class in 1987, and was listed in Magazine/RollingStone's list of 100 Greatest Artists of All Time in 2004, at #91.

Embarking on a comeback tour toward the end of 1985, Nelson and his band flew in Nelson's private aircraft (a propeller plane built in 1944) from Alabama on their way to a scheduled New Year's Eve show in Dallas, Texas, but the plane's heater caught on fire, causing it to crash west of Texarkana, killing him, his fiancée Helen Blair and five others on board. He was posthumously inducted into the UsefulNotes/RockAndRollHallOfFame in its second ever class in 1987, and was listed in Magazine/RollingStone's list of 100 Greatest Artists of All Time in 2004, at #91.

Embarking on a comeback tour toward the end of 1985, Nelson and his band flew from Alabama on their way to a scheduled New Year's Eve show in Dallas, but the plane's heater caught on fire, causing it to crash west of Texarkana, killing him, his fiancée Helen Blair and five others on board. He was posthumously inducted into the UsefulNotes/RockAndRollHallOfFame in its second ever class in 1987, and was listed in Magazine/RollingStone's list of 100 Greatest Artists of All Time in 2004, at #91.

* SingerSongwriter: All of his early hits were either covers or written by outside songwriters, but he got the chance to write some album tracks, starting with 1958's "Don't Leave Me This Way" ([[NamesTheSame not the Thelma Houston[=/=]Communards dance classic]]). In the Stone Canyon Band era, he wrote much of the material; 1970's ''Rick Sings Nelson'', as you might surmise from the title, was entirely self-composed, and his last big hit, "Garden Party", was not only self-written, but autobiographical as well.

1985 was to be his comeback tour, when tragically, the Dallas-bound plane he was on crashed to the west of Texarkana, killing him, his fiancée Helen Blair and five others on board. He was posthumously inducted into the UsefulNotes/RockAndRollHallOfFame in its second ever class in 1987, and was listed in Magazine/RollingStone's list of 100 Greatest Artists of All Time in 2004, at #91.

* SingerSongwriter: All of his early hits were either covers or written by outside songwriters, but he got the chance to write some album tracks, starting with 1958's "Don't Leave Me This Way" ([[NamesTheSame not the Thelma Houston[=/=]Communards dance classic]]). In the Stone Canyon Band era, he wrote much of the material; 1970's ''Rick Sings Nelson'', as you might surmise from the title, was entirely self-composed.

** "Garden Party" is also a first-person account of being a singer.

Then in the mid-60's, just after signing a 20-year deal with Creator/DeccaRecords in 1963, the hits have come to a halt after a combination of UsefulNotes/TheBritishInvasion and the Counterculture. Nelson formed the Stone Canyon Band and transitioned his music to Country, where he was an early influence to the California Sound, and in turn the likes of Music/JacksonBrowne, Music/LindaRonstadt and the Music/{{Eagles}} (Eagle Randy Meisner had been in the Stone Canyon Band). 1972's "Garden Party", about an incident at a Richard Nader Oldies concert where the audience booed, possibly for his playing new songs rather than his oldies, was his final Top 40 hit and has more recently come to be regarded as his SignatureSong.

Then in the mid-60's, just after signing a 20-year deal with Creator/DeccaRecords in 1963, the hits have come to a halt after a combination of UsefulNotes/TheBritishInvasion and the Counterculture. Nelson formed the Stone Canyon Band and transitioned his music to Country, where he was an early influence to the California Sound, and in turn the likes of Music/JacksonBrowne, Music/LindaRonstadt and the Music/{{Eagles}}. 1972's "Garden Party", about an incident at a Richard Nader Oldies concert where the audience booed, possibly for his playing new songs rather than his oldies, was his final Top 40 hit and has more recently come to be regarded as his SignatureSong.

He was married to Kristin Harmon, daughter of [[UsefulNotes/CollegiateAmericanFootball Heisman Trophy]] winner and sportscaster Tom Harmon, from 1963 to 1982 (during which time Creator/MarkHarmon was his brother-in-law). All four of their children went into show business: actress Creator/TracyNelson, musicians Matthew and Gunnar Nelson (twins who formed the band Nelson, who had a #1 hit in 1990 with "(Can't Live Without Your) Love and Affection"), and actor Sam Nelson.

** His first Top 40 hit in his country-rock phase was a 1969 version of Music/BobDylan's [[Music/BringingItAllBackHome "She Belongs to Me"]].

I didn't look the same

Then in the mid-60's, just after signing a 20-year deal with Creator/DeccaRecords in 1963, the hits have come to a halt after a combination of UsefulNotes/TheBritishInvasion and the Counterculture. Nelson transitioned his music to Country, where he was an early influence to the California Sound, and in turn the likes of Music/JacksonBrowne, Music/LindaRonstadt and the Music/{{Eagles}}. 1972's "Garden Party" was the last top forty hit that Nelson would ever make, in relation to an incident at a Richard Nader Oldies concert where the audience booed, possibly to his playing new songs rather than his oldies.

Eric Hilliard "Ricky" Nelson (May 8, 1940 - December 31, 1985) was an American musician and actor. He was born to actors/musicians Ozzie and Harriet Nelson and was featured in 1952 in ''Series/TheAdventuresOfOzzieAndHarriet'' alongside his brother David. In time Ricky had become a teen idol and Ozzie found that his young son had a talent for music that he incorporated the singing. Then on the April 10, 1957 episode "Ricky the Drummer", Ricky sang and played the drums for the Music/FatsDomino song "I'm Walkin", which was a hit that caught the attention of Fats' label Imperial Records, who signed Ricky to a five-year deal.

Ricky Nelson (real name Eric Hilliard Nelson, May 8, 1940 - December 31, 1985) was an American musician and actor. He was born to actors/musicians Ozzie and Harriet Nelson and was featured in 1952 in ''Series/TheAdventuresOfOzzieAndHarriet'' alongside his brother David. In time Ricky had become a teen idol and Ozzie found that his young son had a talent for music that he incorporated the singing. Then on the April 10, 1957 episode "Ricky the Drummer", Ricky sang and played the drums for the Music/FatsDomino song "I'm Walkin", which was a hit that caught the attention of Fats' label Imperial Records, who signed Ricky to a five-year deal.

* CoverVersion: One of his first hits was a cover of Sharon Sheeley's "Poor Little Fool".

His first number one hit under the label was his cover of Sharon Sheeley's "Poor Little Fool", which sold over two million copies. From 1957 to 1962, he was one of the most prolific musicians in rock and roll with thirty songs in the US Top 40, at the time only behind Music/ElvisPresley (53) and Music/PatBoone (38). On May 8, 1961, he changed his recording name to Rick Nelson, though the Ricky moniker has stuck, especially among those familiar not only with his singing and acting career (which included ''Film/RioBravo'' and ''Film/TheWackiestShipInTheArmy'').