Ricky Nelson Remembered By Twin Sons With Love and Affection

[Zoneboy]

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Its been 25 years since the tragic death of Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Ricky Nelson, who died in a plane crash on New Year’s Eve 1985. But his music lives on through his twin sons Matthew and Gunnar. The Nelson twins are not only making their own comeback record, but are playing a handful of shows called “Ricky Nelson Remembered”—a concert of Ricky Nelson songs.

Gunnar Nelson spoke to me via telephone last week from his home in Nashville.

“I’m so lucky because the music is so freaking good that I can let it do the talking and nowadays I get people coming up to me all the time from just regular music fans to luminaries saying they wouldn’t have started playing guitar themselves had they not seen my Dad playing on his show and they love the records.”

Ricky Nelson was arguably rock’s first video star. He made regular appearances on his parent’s television show “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet”. For a period of years, beginning in 1957, each episode would conclude with a song by Ricky Nelson and his band. Many teenagers tuned into the show because of him, and these performances helped keep Ozzie and Harriet on the air until 1966—a blessing and a curse as far as Nelson’s image with the male audience.

“I always felt that while he (Dad) was alive there was this stigma-- especially with guys-- that he was guilty until proven innocent. And that was something that hit home with John Fogerty when he introduced an article for Rolling Stone magazine on my Dad and said that admitting that Ricky Nelson had talent would be like admitting that the Prom Queen actually had a brain.”

During a three-year period from 1957 through 1959, Ricky Nelson owned the pop charts, placing 19 songs in the Top Forty for nearly 200 combined weeks. In what Gunner calls a “multi-media show”, The Nelson twins play those early hits like “Hello Mary Lou” “Travelin’ Man” and “Poor Little Fool” and Gunnar's favorite, “Lonesome Town”. but they also cover their Dad’s singer-songwriter hits from when he formed the Stone Canyon Band in the early 1970’s. That era brought forth songs like “Garden Party” that ushered in a new sound labeled as "country-rock"-- further developed by band likes The Eagles and many others.

According to Gunnar, “The Stone Canyon band was always growing. On any given show we usually have at least one original member. Sometimes we have the Jordanaires singing and playing with us, sometimes we have James Burton playing with us, sometimes we have Skunk Baxter from the Doobie Brothers playing with us who also played with our Dad.”
Gunnar vivdly recalls sitting in the audience during his father’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. Unfortunately the second induction class took place the year after Ricky Nelson died, a slight --in Gunnar’s opinion-- that is still hard to forget all these years later.

“My Dad was alive when the first class was inducted and all of the guys were saying the same thing that he should have been in the first class. You know I talked to Chuck (Berry) and I talked to Jerry Lee (Lewis) and Johnny Cash and I talked to all of those guys and they agree. They could not understand it. He was a soft spoken guy that did more for the promotion of rock and roll as a viable art form than pretty much anyone else I know of other than Elvis.”
Still, Gunnar says the Rock Hall has done a great job in preserving Nelson’s legacy through special exhibits.

“I think our Dad would be particularly proud to know that his guitar from the Garden Party album cover is sitting there front and center… the lyrics for Garden party… I mean there is some incredible memorabilia there and I’m sure that’s where he would want it to be.”
While they work on more dates for the “Ricky Nelson Remembered” Tour, Gunnar and Matthew are also busy wrapping up a new album called “Lightening Strikes Twice” due for release on September 1st.

Gunnar says the songs are meant to sound like the follow up album that never happened from 1990’s smash “After The Rain” album that spawned five Top 40 Billboard hits including the number one hit song “(Can’t Live Without Your) Love and Affection”—the song which landed the Nelsons in the Guinness Book of World Records as the only family to reach number one record status in three successive generations.

“If there is anything I am grateful for its that I have the people in my past to look back on in my own family tree and I can draw inspiration from and also a certain set of standards to live by and that’s what we are doing so in that sense our Dad is never gonna die he’s always gonna live on as long as I’m drawing breath.”

I'll have more on the Nelsons later this month. Meanwhile, here's where you can catch the twins with members of the Stone Canyon Band performing the "Ricky Nelson Remembered" shows this year:

DATE: Thursday, August 13 VENUE: Aqua Turf Club CITY: Plantsville, CT TIME: 2PM

DATE: Saturday, September 12 VENUE: Clovis Music Festival CITY: Clovis, NM TIME: 7PM

DATE : Tuesday, September 15 VENUE: Clay County Fair CITY: Spencer, Iowa TIME: TBA

DATE : Saturday, October 10 VENUE: Hardin Auditorium (acoustic) CITY: Eldora, Iowa TIME: TBA

DATE : Sunday, November 8 VENUE: Rancheria CITY: Jackson, CA TIME: TBA

DATE: Sunday, December 13 VENUE: Valencia Shores CITY: Lakewood, FL TIME: TBA

[Schmoopie]

That's really cool! I used to love Nelson and I wish they would have put out more CD's. That's a nice tribute article to their dad. I remember I was at my grandmother's house watching TV when it was announced that Ricky Nelson had died in that plane crash. She was completely shocked by the news, but I didn't really know who he was at that time, so it didn't really affect me. I bet he would be really proud of Gunnar and Matthew, knowing they are doing this tribute show to him. I hope it comes to Seattle!

[phoebe7165]

Yeah, I remember, too, hearing about Ricky's plane crash. It's so great that his sons are keeping his music alive, much like Dweezil Zappa's been doing with Frank's music.

I see they're coming to Fla., maybe I'll check them out.

[catlover79]

It is so refreshing and nice that a celebrity is remembered with such love by his children. I agree, Ricky would definitely be proud, and I wish Matthew and Gunnar nothing but the best.

[Marvo301]

I think it's great that Matthew and Gunnar are keeping their Dad's legacy alive. I'm sure Ozzie, Harriett, and Ricky are smiling down on them. I bet Uncle David and their sister Tracey are proud of them too.