Arts & Culture

Rick Nelson

American musician and actor
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Also known as: Eric Hilliard Nelson, Ricky Nelson
The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet
The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet
In full:
Eric Hilliard Nelson
Also called:
Ricky Nelson
Born:
May 8, 1940, Teaneck, New Jersey, U.S.
Died:
December 31, 1985, De Kalb, Texas (aged 45)
Awards And Honors:
Grammy Award (1986)

Rick Nelson (born May 8, 1940, Teaneck, New Jersey, U.S.—died December 31, 1985, De Kalb, Texas) American singer and actor, one of rock music’s first teen idols. Nelson gained fame on his parents’ television series, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, which embodied middle-American values in the 1950s and early ’60s.

At age 17, in 1957, he recorded a hit version of Fats Domino’s “I’m Walkin’.” Trading on his handsome wholesome television image, Nelson launched a recording career that resulted in a bevy of Top Ten hits and contributed to rock and roll’s mainstream acceptance. Yet, unlike Frankie Avalon and other teen idols who found fame on American Bandstand, Nelson created boisterous rockabilly-flavoured rock and roll as well as gentler ballads. Moreover, first-rate songwriters such as Gene Pitney (“Hello, Mary Lou”) and Johnny and Dorsey Burnette provided him with material, and his guitarist, James Burton—who later played with Elvis Presley—was one of early rock’s most-distinctive players. After topping the charts with “Poor Little Fool” (1958) and “Travelin’ Man” (1961), Nelson’s popularity waned in the mid-1960s.

USA 2006 - 78th Annual Academy Awards. Closeup of giant Oscar statue at the entrance of the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, California. Hompepage blog 2009, arts and entertainment, film movie hollywood
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Having shed his boy-next-door image, he formed the Stone Canyon Band and explored country rock. His final hit, “Garden Party” (1972), described Nelson’s frustration with the hostile reaction of the audience at an “oldies” concert. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, two years after his death in a plane crash.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Adam Augustyn.