Please read this excellent article about Ozzie and Harriet's part in getting American Bandstand on TV.


http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2012/04/dick-clark-american-bandstand-ozzie-harriet-nelson-ricky-nelson.html

Excellent article. I always knew Ozzie was a brilliant businessman with a keen strategic mind. Many shows owe a lot to him. Dick Clark was such a great choice for AB.

I agree with this article's point, and ironically I remember reading once--after, perhaps long after Rick's death--where Dick Clark was saying that Ozzie didn't manage Rick's career well, that Rick could have had a better career if Ozzie hadn't limited Rick's exposure to the family show. My reaction to this was, first of all, how much better could Rick's career have been in those days--from 1957 to 1964 only Elvis was bigger, and once the Beatles came along Rick was hardly the only one to be swept aside. Second of all, I wondered if Dick Clark wasn't expressing some belated sour grapes about Ozzie not letting Rick appear on American Bandstand!

Still, I have nothing but respect for Dick Clark. May he rest in peace!

Second of all, I wondered if Dick Clark wasn't expressing some belated sour grapes about Ozzie not letting Rick appear on American Bandstand!

Still, I have nothing but respect for Dick Clark. May he rest in peace!

Entertainment Tonight was showing older clips of Dick Clark interviews and he specifically mentioned Ricky when he was discussing the artists he couldn't get on American Bandstand. The Beatles, Elvis and Ricky.

I love it that Ricky was up there in the same category with Elvis and The Beatles. :cool:

Me too. Shame Rick didn't get the credit he was often due. He WAS a trailblazer.

Me too. Shame Rick didn't get the credit he was often due. He WAS a trailblazer.


As was Ozzie for having the courage to let his son sing on such a family oriented show. He took quite a gamble and won handsomely.:)

As was Ozzie for having the courage to let his son sing on such a family oriented show. He took quite a gamble and won handsomely.:)

True--Ozzie had SUPERB business acumen, so he may have had a good vision on how this would play out (no pun intended).

I'm sure Ozzie's refusal to let Rick appear on other shows helped create that exclusivity factor that helped the ratings for Ozzie & Harriet.