He was one of the most-watched pop stars of all time, and his songs won over a lot of people. For years, he was the teen idol, but his more emotional fans saw him as the man whose last-minute choice saved the lives of his boys.
He was born on May 8, 1940, in New Jersey. He was one of the biggest teen stars of the late 1950s and early 1960s. He was born into a family of entertainers, and they had their own TV show that he and his older brother later joined. It was on for 16 years in a row, which is a record for a TV series.
He went to Gardner Street Public School, then Bancroft Junior High, and finally Hollywood High School. He hated school, even though his father insisted that he go to college.
He was already making a lot of money when he was old enough to go to college. He was making up to $100,000 a year. So, he didn’t think it was important to go to school.He made his first single, “I’m Walking,” when he was 17. This was after making his TV debut on the family show “The Drummer,” where he sang and played the drums to the same song. It got to No. 4 on Billboard’s list of best-selling songs.
He had only just begun. In the years that followed, he put out more hit songs. His songs included “Travelin’ Man,” “Garden Party,” “It’s Late,” “Fools Rush In,” “For You,” “Poor Little Fool,” and many more.
Most of his songs were first played at his parents’ show before they were released as records.
Get married and have kids
The artist had a great time during the Christmas holiday season of 1961. His mother didn’t like any of the women he was seeing, even though he had started dating years before.
This time, he was going out with someone his folks knew. They had a lot in common, like having controlling dads, growing up in Hollywood, and being quiet. The little gift was rounded out by the fact that their parents had known each other for a long time.It seemed like a great idea for their kids to date, so the two teens got together and got married in April 1963. They had four kids together, two sets of twins and a daughter who became an actor and singer.
What Happened
After his first song, he had a string of rock and roll top 40 hits over the next ten years. He had the best record of that era, third only to Pat Boone and fourth only to Elvis Presley.He stayed important in music throughout the decade and even started getting credit for helping artists like The Eagles and Linda Ronstadt find their way in the music business.
He kept going on tours to promote his music and let everyone know how great his voice was. He died too soon while on one of these tours, leaving the world to mourn his death and the impact he had left behind.
He never liked flying, and he’d even attended psychotherapy sessions to get himself on airplanes. It seemed necessary as he wanted to reach out to more audiences, including those flying distances away from his hometown.
The Premonition That Saved His Son’s Lives
It was the end of the year, and he was supposed to fly to Dallas for the New Year’s show, accompanied by his twin sons, Matthew and Gunnar.
Gunnar said, “We were supposed to be on the plane on that trip. Our dad called us right before we were supposed to come down to Alabama and meet him and fly with him to the New Year’s show in Dallas.”
A few days before they left for the Dallas concert, he seemed to have had a premonition and decided he’d not fly in the company of his sons. Consequently, he called them to break the news.
Gunnar seems to think his father changed his mind because the plane they were supposed to travel in had had some engine trouble. That last-minute decision by their father saved their lives.
On that fateful day, he boarded the chartered DC-3 in Alabama. Shortly before arriving in Dallas, the cabin filled with smoke from a fire whose origin has remained a mystery for over three decades.
While the pilot successfully landed the plane in a field outside of De Kalb, Texas, all passengers aboard did not make it out alive, including him. The fans’ favorite was gone, snatched from the world forever. This talented artist gone too soon is none other than Ricky Nelson.
Unproven Theories Surrounding the Crash
Following his untimely death, published reports began claiming that the fire resulted from him and his then-girlfriend, Helen Blair, “free-basing” cocaine. His brother, however, vehemently denied that he had ever used cocaine.
At the same time, his manager, Greg McDonald, disclosed that he and Blair had been asleep in their cabin when the smoke started. His daughter, Tracy, had another theory in mind.
Speaking with Larry King, she said that the plane, nicknamed the Flying Bus due to how slow it was, had had several problems with the gasoline heater, and that caused the fire.
The Children He Left Behind
Ricky left behind four beautiful children. His daughter Tracy is an actress, well known for her role as Rachel in the film “The Perfect Tenant” and Theda Bara in “As Long a
His twin sons Matthew and Gunner followed in their father’s footsteps and are renowned musicians. Besides touring to support their music, they also do special concerts for their father to remember his legacy. Matthew said:
“It’s an ongoing labor of love, an open letter to our dad, who was our best friend.”
The youngest of the Nelson children,Sam Nelson, is also a musician and is the lead vocalist for his band H is Orange. He performs in the band alongside Guy Staniar, Marcel Blanco, and Troy Brittain.
