Tonight, New Years Eve 2010, marks the 25th anniversary of Ricks death in that awful plane crash. :(

Rick's words of wisdom... " You can't please everyone so ya gotta please yourself."

RIP Ricky

:rip: Ricky Nelson. You left us way too soon but you left behind a legacy of beautiful music.

I think of this every NYE, and, like many a past NYE, I watched some of my favorite Rick Nelson performances--some from the Ricky Nelson Sings DVD, some that I have from my own collection of Rick's later (1970s/80s) TV appearances, and some of the reminiscing about Rick from his kids as well as his lead guitarist in the Ozzie & Harriet years, James Burton, from the DVD. It really was a terrible tragedy that Rick (and all the other passengers on that plane) died so young and in such a horrible way, but Rick left a legacy of entertainment through both his music and his acting that still endures very strongly a quarter of a century after his passing, and in watching his children and brother talk about him, it is clear that his family loved him very much. All in all I'd say those are marks of a life well lived.

Yes the way he died was so tragic and horrific, but like matt7b said, Rick left a rich legacy. What a shame Rick was never appreciated in his later years for all his contributions. May he rest in peace.