Ricky Nelson, whose real name was Eric Hilliard Nelson, was born in Teaneck, New Jersey, on May 8, 1940. He became one of the first teen idols in rock music.
He became famous when he was really young because he and his brother were part of their parents’ TV show, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.
The sitcom was on the air for sixteen years, and during that time, Ricky went to Gardner Street Public School before moving on to Hollywood High School.
Ricky didn’t really like studying, and that made his dad, Ozzie Nelson, upset because he hoped Ricky would go to college. But when Ricky started making about $100,000 a year, which was more than most adults, his parents accepted that he chose not to keep going to school.
In an episode called Ricky, the Drummer, 17-year-old Ricky performed a song named I’m Walking, which was recorded for the show. It quickly became super popular, climbing to number 4 on Billboard’s Best Sellers list. This song definitely opened up a whole new world for young Ricky, introducing him to the music scene.
He quickly started putting out more songs and became a well-known figure in the music world. Some of his other popular tracks include Garden Party, Fools Rush In, For You, Poor Little Fool, and Travelin’ Man.
In 1963, Ricky tied the knot with Kristin Harmon, who had a background just like his. They went on to have four kids: Sam Hilliard Nelson, twins Matthew Gray Nelson and Gunnar Eric Nelson, and their daughter Tracy Kristine Nelson.
At first, their marriage seemed like a dream come true, but things started to go wrong when they both embraced a hippy lifestyle that included a lot of drinking. In the end, Kristin decided to get a divorce and was granted temporary custody of the kids. During this time, they both blamed each other for not being good parents.
Sadly, mere months after their split, Ricky got involved in a plane accident which claimed his life.
Ever since Rocky began his tours, he felt really uneasy about flying. To deal with his anxiety, he even went to therapy sessions to help him face his fears so he could travel and meet his fans.
Ricky was getting ready for a New Year’s Show in Dallas, and his twins were all set to go with him. But just before the flight, he started to feel uneasy about it. So, he quickly called his kids and told them they wouldn’t be flying with him after all.
Gunnar explained, “We were meant to be on the plane for that trip. Just before we were about to head down to Alabama to meet our dad, he called us. We were going to fly with him to the New Year’s show in Dallas.”
Sadly, the DC-3 airplane that Ricky was on with his girlfriend Helen Blaine caught fire. Even though the pilot managed to land it safely, the passengers lost their lives.
People were saying that the airplane had issues with its fuel heater. But the actual cause of the accident is still unknown.
Ricky’s gut feeling before the tragic flight which claimed his life helped prevent much larger tragedy from taking place.
Nowadays, his sons are musicians on their own and are carrying on their dad’s legacy.
“It’s an ongoing labor of love, an open letter to our dad, who was our best friend,” Matthew says.
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