Ricky Nelson

Celebrity

  • Birth Name: Eric Hilliard Nelson
  • Birth Place: Teaneck, NJ
  • Date of Birth / Zodiac Sign: 05/08/1940, Taurus
  • Date of Death: 12/31/1985
  • Profession: Actor; singer; songwriter
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Ricky Nelson Fast Facts:
  • Was a nationally ranked tennis player at 15.
  • Got his big music break performing a cover of Fats Domino's "I'm Walkin'" on the family TV series The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet in 1957.
  • His signature line from the TV series, "I don't mess around, boy," became a national catch phrase.
  • In a 1958 issue of Time Magazine, they coined the term "Teenage Idol" to describe him.
  • Was so popular, the Hollywood post office had a room just for his incoming fan mail. 
  • Because his father used so many of the family's real-life adventures as plots for the TV show, young Ricky often cautioned his friends to be careful about what they said around Ozzie.
  • Fans booing his appearance at a 1971 Madison Square Garden oldies show, where he was playing his new songs and not the classics they had come to hear, inspired his chart-topping hit song "Garden Party."
  • Was killed in a private-plane crash on December 31, 1985, on the way to a New Year's Eve concert in Dallas.
  • Ricky Nelson Relationships:
  • Ozzie Nelson - Father
  • Harriet Nelson - Mother
  • David Nelson - Brother
  • Kristin Harmon - Ex-wife
  • Tracy Nelson - Daughter
  • Gunnar Nelson - Son
  • Matthew Nelson - Son
  • Sam Nelson - Son
  • Helen Blair - Fiancée
  • Ricky Nelson Awards:
  • 1986 Grammy: Best Spoken Word or Non-Musical Recording - Winner
  • 1959 Golden Globe: New Star of the Year - Actor - Nominee
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