Ricky Nelson
Biography Ricky Nelson
Ricky Nelson
Oswald George Nelson was already a successful bandleader when, in 1932, he signed an up and coming singer to join his act. Her name was Harriet Hilliard, and though they wouldn’t have believed it at the time, they were to become the patriarchs of one of America’s most beloved families. Having married on October 8th 1935, they were soon welcoming the arrival of their first born, David, a year later on October 24th 1936. Then on May 8th 1940, Eric Hilliard Nelson was born at the Holy Name Hospital in Teaneck, New Jersey.
The Nelsons place in history was confirmed when on October 8th 1944 they began work on a radio show which was to become the longest running sit-com in U.S. history: The Adventures Of Ozzie & Harriet. After a few episodes it was decided that the show would benefit from the introduction of the couples children, David and Ricky. But instead of the actual David and Ricky, actors were hired to portray them. However it didn’t take long for the boys to persuade their dad that they were more than capable of playing themselves on the show. And so, on February 20th 1949, a unique event occurred on air. A family, portraying themselves, with many referances to events in their own lives. It was in many ways, the worlds first reality show, and listeners were hooked.
By 1951, Ozzie had in mind a move to televison and began scripting a big screen adaptation which would be a perfect chance to discover how people took to seeing the family for the first time. Here Come The Nelsons was a hit and convinced Ozzie that television was a viable option. Ever the businessman, Ozzie took on the role of producer, director, head writer and story editor of the show which began filming at General Services Studio in Hollywood for ABC. The first episode entitled, The Rivals, debuted on October 3rd 1953. It was to continue for a further 11 seasons and created the stereotypical image of the family of the ‘50’s that survives to this day.
Ricky was 13 by now and had established himself as the “irrepressible Ricky” a wise-cracking kid, who likes nothing more than getting one over on his older, more sensible brother. Off-screen Ricky was developing a keen interest in sports, even joining David in perfecting a dazzling trapeze act, but his pasion lay in tennis, for which he reached the semi-finals of the National Indoor Junior Championships at the age of 16. A near fatal car accident that same year landed him in hospital with a crackled vertebrae, but it was to be something totally different that would lure Ricky away from taking up tennis professionally. Ricky Nelsons entry into the Rock ‘N’ Roll Hall Of Fame, began as a boast to get the attentions of a girl he had taken on a date. Whilst driving her home, she began telling Ricky how wonderful she thought the guy on the radio was, a new singer called Elvis Presley. ….
