Final Days and Tragedy of Ricky Nelson. Here's Why.

Ricky Nelson a legendary musician and actor had it all fame fortune and a loving family however his final days were marred by tragedy that would leave a lasting impact on his fans and loved ones as a pioneer of rock and roll Nelson's influence on the music industry was immeasurable but his untimely death left a void that could never be filled in this tragic tale we delve into the final days of Ricky Nelson and explore the events that led up to his heartbreaking demise from his rise to stardom to the events that ultimately led to his untimely passing this is a story of talent success and the ultimate tragedy Ricky Nelson's Journey began on May 8th 1940 in t Neck New Jersey he was born into a family of musicians his mother Harriet hilard Nelson was a singer and his father Azie Nelson was a band leader actor director ctor and producer his older brother David Nelson was also an actor with a family like that it was no surprise that Ricky showed an early interest in music unfortunately Ricky's childhood was not without challenges he suffered from asthma a condition that required him to be treated with a vaporizer Emitt in tincture of Evergreen despite this setback he was determined to pursue his passion for music Ricky attended Gardner Street Public School in bankra junior high before completing his graduation at Hollywood High School he was not only an excellent student but also an accomplished athlete playing football for his high school team and representing the school in the inter Scholastic tennis tournament Ricky Nelson was a young man who was destined for success by the age of 18 he was already earning over 500,000 per anom and was in the 93% income tax bracket however his parents wisely invested his earnings into trust funds and allowed him only $50 for personal expenses as a teenager Ricky was already an accomplished musician he played clarinet and drums and had also learned the rudimentary guitar chords he spent hours practicing his vocals by imitating the rockabilly artist from Sun Records and was deeply influenced by the music of Carl Perkins in an attempt to impress his gfriend Ricky decided to make a record with his father's assistance he secured a deal with Verve record in March 1957 he completed the recording of I'm walking a teenager's romance and you're my one and only love the single I'm walking quickly Rose to fame and rank ranked at number four on Billboard's best sellers in stores chart the second single a teenager's romance did even better reaching the second spot Ricky's Talent was undeniable and he quickly became a sensation in the music world Ricky Nelson's success in the music industry continued to soar in 1957 when he signed a contract with Imperial records his first single bbop baby was a hit generating 700 50,000 Advanced orders and selling over a million copies the song reached number three on charts and his first album Ricky was released in October and reached the number one spot on charts between 1958 and 1959 Ricky Nelson surpassed Elvis Presley placing 12 hits on the charts compared to Presley's 11 however Presley later took charge of the race and became the only person besides Pat Boon to put more singles on the charts than Ricky nevertheless Ricky had a staggering 30 singles in the top 40 list between 1957 and 1962 despite his success in the music industry Ricky also had a flourishing acting career he starred in numerous films including Rio Bravo in 1959 the wackiest ship in the Army in 1960 alongside Jack Lemon loving kisses in 1965 with Jack Kelly and the over the hill gang in 1969 with Walter Brennan and padle Bryan Ricky Nelson's contribution to the music industry are undeniable in 1987 he was recognized for his achievements and inducted into the prestigious Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Rockabilly Hall of Fame to further honor his impact on music he received the star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame located at 15 15 Vine Street in addition to his impressive musical accomplishments rooky was also recognized for his spoken word performances winning the 1987 Grammy award for best Spoken Word album for interviews from the Class of 55 recording sessions the Ricky's achievements weren't just limited to the United States in 2013 he was inducted into the Scandinavian American Hall of Fame for his contributions to the music industry he dated many girls in his teenage years but his mother Harriet Nelson never approved of any of them Harriet had certain expectations for her son's personal life and urged him to prioritize his career at an early age in April 1963 Ricky Nelson tied a knot with Chris Harmon daughter of Tom Harmon a football legend and actress Elise Knox who had been friends with the Nelson family for a long time the couple had had four children together twin Sons gunar Eric Nelson and Matthew Grey Nelson Tracy Christine Nelson and Sam hilard Nelson before the marriage started to fall apart their marriage was not a fairy tale and it wasn't long before problems started however the couple tried to work things out and it was only after the birth of their last child that things began to fall apart completely after a long and emotionally draining legal procedure the couple ended the marriage with a divorce in December 1982 after his divorce Ricky Nelson started dating Helen Blair they met for the first time in 1984 and two years later Blair moved in with Nelson tragically both died together in an airplane fire Nelson's mother however refused to allow Blair to be buried next to her son Ricky Nelson the famous American musician and actor was not a fan of flying but he also didn't like tra Trav in by bus to sue his lavish lifestyle he leased a luxurious 14 seat 1944 Douglas DC3 which had been previously owned by The Dupont family and later by Jerry Lee Lewis however this private jet had a history of several mechanical issues on December 26 1985 Nelson embarked on a three stop tour of the Southern United States with his band and Helen Blair after performing in Florida and Alabama the crew left for Texas on December 31st but unfortunately the plane crashed landed Northeast of Dallas in Deal Texas Killing Nelson Helen and some of his band members it was a tragic end to a legendary career Nelson's remains were laid to rest in the Forest Lawn Hollywood Hill Cemetery in Los Angeles in a private funeral the world mourned the loss of this talented artist who had contributed so much to the music industry goodbye Ricky Nelson your music will always live on

Channel: Classic Hollywood Legend

Views: 39,695

Keywords: actor, actors, actress, actresses, hollywood actors, hollywood actresses, Classic Hollywood Legend, Legendary Old Hollywood Actors, Hollywood Legend, Classic Hollywood, Old Hollywood Stars, Hollywood Stars, Hollywood's Golden Age, Greatest Actors, Classic Actors, Ricky Nelson, Ricky Nelson life, Ricky Nelson career, Ricky Nelson biography, Ricky Nelson news, Ricky Nelson update, Ricky Nelson death, ricky nelson family, ricky nelson documentary

Id: rVliWLeJLWk

Length: 8min 4sec (484 seconds)

Published: Mon Mar 13 2023