Gene Nelson Biography

Fast Facts

• Was nominated for a 1965 Writers Guild of America Award for Best Written American Musical for "Kissin' Cousins․"
• Won a Tony award for his 1971 performance in "Follies․"
• His early Broadway roles were as a dancer in "This Is the Army" and "Lend an Ear․"
• Seeing Fred Astaire dance in "Flying Down to Rio" inspired him to go into show business
• Started his career in the late 1940s as a skater in Sonja Henie's ice show
• Best known as the singing, dancing cowboy Will Parker in the 1955 film version of "Oklahoma!"
• The height of his popularity was during the 1950s era of musical films in Hollywood
• Performed as a gymnast and an ice skater in high school
• Organized and trained a football cheering squad in high school, writing their songs and cheers
• Over the course of his career, he danced on ships, up a banister and over a Volkswagen