Ricky Nelson was born May 8, 1940 in Teaneck, NJ. His parents, Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, were famous entertainers.
On February 20, 1949 (73 years ago) Ricky joined his parents (as their eight year old son) on their popular radio program, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. In 1952, the program transferred to television and ran for another fourteen years to when Ricky was twenty-six.
The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet allowed Ricky to become a music idol. Ozzie realized the impact his musically gifted son could have on the series, and went on to write storylines featuring Ricky singing.
Ricky first sang in the April 10, 1957 episode performing a version of Fats Domino's hit "I'm Walkin" and later signed a recording contract with Domino's label, Imperial Records. Subsequent episodes that aired after Ricky became one of the nation's most successful musicians were some of the series' highest-rated episodes.
In 1958, Nelson released his first #1 single, "Poor Little Fool." It sold over two million copies.
Following his success on TV and as a singer, the director Howard Hawks cast him as the gunslinger Colorado in his film Rio Bravo (1959) along with John Wayne, Dean Martin, Angie Dickinson, Walter Brennan and Ward Bond. Hawks attributed much of the film's box office success to Nelson. In the film, he sings "Get Along, Cindy."
In 1961, he recorded my favorite of his songs, "Travelin' Man." In 1972, Nelson reached the top 40 one last time with "Garden Party."
On New Years Eve 1985, Ricky Nelson was flying from Guntersville, Alabama to Dallas, Texas for a concert. The plane crashed and all seven passengers were killed. Ricky Nelson was forty-five.
I remember his singing "Garden Party."
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