Ricky Nelson

The Nelson family (Ozzie, Harriet & Ricky) were inducted into the 2019-2020 Class of New Jersey Hall of Fame in the Arts and Entertainment category.

He and Ozzie Nelson were nominated for the 2017 New Jersey Hall of Fame in the Performing Arts category.

Ranked #2 in TV Guide's list of "TV's 25 Greatest Teen Idols" (23 January 2005 issue).

Release of the book, "Teenage Idol, Travelin' Man: The Complete Biography of Rick Nelson" by Philip Bashe. [1992]

He was voted the 91st Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Artist of all time by Rolling Stone.

Release of the book, "Ricky Nelson: Idol For a Generation" by Joel Selvin. [1990]

Ever since his death in a private plane crash on New Year's Eve, 1985, it had been speculated that the fire that caused the crash was the result of drug use - supposedly freebasing cocaine - either by Nelson himself or by one of his crew. This theory has since been discredited by, among other sources, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board in their official report on the crash. Their evidence shows that the cause originally given for the crash (an on-board heater short-circuiting and catching fire) is the correct one.

Biography in "The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives". Volume One, 1981-1985, pages 596-599. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1998.

His hit single "Garden Party," which reached #6 in the fall of 1972 and went gold, was about his experience during a Madison Square Garden concert. In fact, when he sang the lyric "But if memories were all I sang, I'd rather drive a truck," he meant it.

When Rick Nelson appeared at The Rock Revival at Madison Square Garden in 1971, he was unaware that he was to appear in clothing from the era of the height of his popularity. Not aware of this, he appeared in contemporary clothing and was booed for it. As a result of this, he wrote the hit song "Garden Party".

Was one of two rock stars who never appeared on American Bandstand (1952). The other was Elvis Presley, although he did speak by phone to host Dick Clark on January 8, 1960, his 25th birthday, during his time overseas in the Army (1958-1960). He accepted a Special Award for "1959 Record Of The Year" for "A Big Hunk Of Love"/"My Wish Came True", a two-sided hit from from the summer of 1959. Little Richard did not appear on "Bandstand" until 1964, when rock'n'roll was in its second generation and "Bandstand" had left its after-school format and moved from Philadelphia to LA.

Johnny Cash wrote the song "Restless Kid" for him to sing in Howard Hawks' Rio Bravo (1959). However, music director Dimitri Tiomkin insisted that Nelson perform the folk song "Cindy" and Dimitri Tiomkin's own "My Rifle, My Pony, and Me". Johnny Cash's evocative "Restless Kid", which sums up Ricky's Rio Bravo (1959) character "Colorado" in less than two minutes, never appeared in the film. Instead, it was released on Nelson's third album, "Ricky Sings Again" (Imperial LP 9061 [mono]/Imperial LP 12090 [stereo], 1959).

When "Billboard" first introduced the "Hot 100" chart that would become the industry standard, the very first song to top that chart was Nelson's "Poor Little Fool" (4 August 1958).

He performed his debut single "I'm Walkin", a cover of Fats Domino's mega-hit, on "The Perry Como Kraft Music Hall" in 1957. In addition to films, from 1958-1965 he performed his songs for the TV audience only on "The Adventures of "Ozzie And Harriet", until 1966, when he appeared on "The Ed Sullivan Show".

He was an actor, known for The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet (1952) and Rio Bravo (1959). He was married to Kristin Harmon.

One of the most popular teen idols on the late 1950's and early 1960's, his many hit records, primarily on the Imperial and American Decca labels, include "I'm Walkin'", "Travelin' Man", "Poor Little Fool", "For You", "Fools Rush In", "It's Late", and "Garden Party". Most of these songs were originally introduced on The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (1952) TV show.

Ricky Nelson was born on May 8, 1940 in Teaneck, New Jersey, USA as Eric Hilliard Nelson.

He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 1515 Vine Street in Hollywood, California.