Ricky Nelson was adored by his fans for years as a teen pop idol and was one of the most televised musicians of his era.
While many know of the mysterious circumstances of his death, not many know how a last-minute choice saved the lives of his two young sons.
Ricky Nelson was born Eric Hilliard Nelson in Teaneck, New Jersey, on May 8, 1940. His parents, Ozzie Nelson and Harriet Hilliard Nelson were known for their popular sitcom: “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.”
Ricky was a small, shy child who struggled with severe asthma, often needing a vaporizer with evergreen tincture to help him sleep at night. John Guedel, Red Skelton’s producer, described him as “an odd little kid” — likable, introspective, mysterious, and hard to read. When Skelton was drafted in 1944, Guedel created the radio sitcom The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet for Ricky’s parents, which premiered on Sunday, October 8, 1944, to positive reviews.
The Nelson’s sitcom ran for sixteen years, a record in sitcom history. Ricky and his older brother, David, joined the cast of the show when they were about the ages of 8 and 10 as well.
Throughout this time, Ricky attended Gardner Street Public School, eventually reaching Hollywood High School. He tended to have an aversion to education, which caused friction with his father, who wanted Ricky to attend college.
By the time he began approaching the proper age for college attendance, he was already making more money than most established adults. His earnings were already roughly $100,000 a year and therefore exempted him from needing a college education.
At the age of 17, Ricky appeared in the episode “Ricky, the Drummer” of his family’s show. A song he played on that episode was recorded and released as his first single–”I’m Walking.” It quickly became number 4 on Billboard’s Best Sellers list.
His popularity skyrocketed and allowed him to often debut music on his parents’ show before releasing songs as singles to the public. Some notable hits included “Garden Party,” “It’s Late,” “Fools Rush In,” “For You,” “Poor Little Fool,” and “Travelin’ Man.”
Around 1961, Rickey began dating Kristin Harmon. Kristin was from a similar background, as she also was raised in Hollywood. Additionally, her family and the Nelsons were close friends.
The two married in April 1963. They had four children: Sam Hilliard Nelson, twins Matthew Gray Nelson and Gunnar Eric Nelson, and their daughter, Actress Tracy Kristine Nelson.
Ricky’s fame continued to increase throughout the ’60s as he consistently came out with Top 40’s hits. His popular music was in the growing rock n’ roll genre and led to various tours for him over the years.
