Living in the Shadow of a Teenage Idol: David Nelson Enters the Limelight

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In an exclusive interview with this column, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Rick Nelson's youngest child, Sam, and his biographer, Philip Bashe, turn a much-needed spotlight on another member of the quintessential American family.


David Nelson was the epitome of a show biz kid. The eldest son of Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, David's family rose to widespread recognition on the long-running sitcom/quasi-reality ABC series, "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet".

Of course, David's little brother became an overnight rock and roll sensation at the tender age of 17 when he decided to impress a girlfriend who thought Elvis Presley was the greatest singer alive. Rick nonchalantly covered Fats Domino's "I'm Walkin'", and the rest is history.

According to an interview for Philip Bashe's "Teenage Idol, Travelin' Man" biography, the one question posed to David throughout his life was whether he experienced any jealousy over his brother's success. While he denied the accusation, the actor did recount one revealing anecdote that might have brought on a certain degree of resentment.

While the Nelsons were singing "Happy Birthday to You" on David's 21st birthday in 1957, Imperial Records mogul Lew Chudd burst in unannounced to award Rick with a gold record for "Be-Bop Baby." With a chuckle, David told the author, "At least Chudd could have waited until I blew out the candles."

Like his brother, David was highly athletic, friendly, and even-tempered. One crucial aspect of their distinctive personalities – David preferred his mom's company while Rick emulated Ozzie. As their father was a genuine creative genius who had a notorious control streak, in addition to his brother's massive fame, David had a tougher time finding his own identity.

Although he certainly tried – appearing in motion pictures such as Lana Turner's "Peyton Place" [1957], "The Big Circus" and "Day of the Outlaw" [both 1959]. "The Big Circus" influenced the handsome actor to the extent that he actually moonlighted with a traveling circus as a death defying acrobat, while the latter was a vastly underrated, noirish western set in the dead of Oregon winter featuring the excellent Robert Ryan, Burl Ives, and future Gilligan's Island star Tina Louise, nearly unrecognizable without her trademark makeup.

However, as the early '60s dawned, David's passions were increasingly drawn behind the camera as prospective roles virtually dried up due to his being typecasted on "Ozzie and Harriet". Fortunately, his dad was persuaded by Harriet to cede his directorial chair to David for a handful of episodes.

The experience was certainly a training ground for David's later career. One notable example is the 1970 documentary, "Easy To Be Free", that captured Rick and the Stone Canyon Band in concert at The Troubadour in West Hollywood and The Bottom Line in New York City. Syndicated to select television stations across the USA, the special is extremely hard to find [the opening sequence is available on YouTube].

Or "Rick Nelson: A Brother Remembers", another remarkable documentary produced, directed, and hosted by the filmmaker which aired Nov. 16, 1987, on the Disney channel. Perhaps the one project closest to his heart, it is in dire need of an official DVD release.

After his father, brother, and mother passed away, David became the keeper of the Nelson legacy, representing his family in distinguished fashion until his death in January 2011 from complications of colon cancer.

Keep reading as Bashe and Nelson explores what it was like to grow up in a famous family spearheaded by a dominant father, how "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet" impacted both brothers when it was cancelled, David's patriarchal role after his little brother passed away, his often troubled relationship with Kristin Harmon Nelson (Rick's wife), whether David was a motivated individual in his later years, why "Ozzie and Harriet" dropped out of syndication for such a prolonged period, and the series' legacy.

The Sam Nelson and Philip Bashe Interview

did the cancellation of "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet" affect Rick and David’s relationship with their parents?

Philip Bashe: Rick and David both (and David more so than Rick) separated themselves from their parents when the show ended. When you think about it, the big job of teenager-hood is to separate from your parents, assert your independence, and find your self-identity.

Well, they never got a chance to do that. In fact, they were stuck with their parents all the time because Dad was your Dad, Dad was also your boss on the set, and Dad played your “fake dad” on the TV show. All things considered, I think they weathered a very difficult situation fairly well.

But it was natural that Rick wanted to assert himself. He didn’t get to act out his teenager-hood until he was married and in his mid-twenties. A lot of people were “searching” (it’s a cliché now), but it was legitimate in the 1960s. Here was Rick at 26: at a crossroads with his life. What was he gonna do?

As much as they loved and respected their parents, both he and David needed to get away from them. Not so much Harriet, but Ozzie. Some people might see that as, 'Oh-no! The Nelsons were not what they seemed'.

I would challenge any family to survive working from 1949 to 1966 (if you include the radio version of "Ozzie and Harriet") on a show produced by and starring your dad. And you’re trying to grow up at the same time. Very convoluted, almost like playing a three-tier game of chess.

Had the brothers gotten closer before Rick passed away?

Philip Bashe: They were getting there, but they were very different personalities. I’m an only child, so I don’t know. In families this is a common dynamic. David was closer to Harriet, and Rick was closer to Ozzie. That makes perfect sense: Harriet played a subordinate role to Ozzie just as David had to play a subordinate role to his younger brother.

Everyone who knew them said that David might have had some resentment, but he dealt with it pretty well. These were people who lived a pretty strange life, when you think about it. Rick was nine when he joined the TV show, and David was thirteen. They had grown up with fame their entire lives, and even before that, they were around fame. From the time they were born, their parents were already extremely popular recording artists.

People tend to project how they think they would act, but very few people had the life experience that Rick and David had. Fame was all they knew; it was normal to them. Maybe that’s why they weren’t as desperate as other celebrities to hang onto it. They rode the waves a little better than many people. In short, I enjoyed talking to David. He was very deep.

How did you become the estate manager for your grandparents?

Sam Nelson: I had been working at Capitol Records in A&R in catalogue for about five years with these legacy artists – incredible talents like The Beach Boys, Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and my dad.

I helped put together some pretty big projects over there that were very successful, including my dad's "Legacy" box set. It was the first time my dad had really shone in a long time, perhaps 30 years. Capitol was extremely surprised that he still had the voice.

While putting those projects together, my Uncle Dave got in touch with me. His health wasn’t great, but we weren’t sure how bad it was at that point. But I think he saw the success of the projects I had worked on through Capitol. I was like, 'My god, I’m basically doing all this work for Capitol that I should instead be pursuing for my own family'.

It was kind of a nice synergy when he called me in and said, “Listen, I want you to be co-captain with me on 'Ozzie and Harriet'" I think he felt confident with me in that position, and it was a good choice. It was perfect timing for me, and I dove right in.

How would you characterize your Uncle Dave?

Sam Nelson: When Pop died, everybody was kinda lost. Uncle Dave was responsible for putting everything in order. He was a quiet, good guy. As a son, I was looking for my dad, so I definitely wish that Uncle Dave was more like my dad than he was. But he had his own family and his own stuff going on.

My mom and Uncle Dave never really mended fences. But they remained cordial. As time goes by, time goes by. I know that after Uncle Dave passed in January 2010 due to complications from colon cancer, my mom wrote a fantastic letter to his wife, Yvonne. They’re starting to rekindle and communicate a little more. Hopefully that will spawn into something more meaningful.

I wish Uncle Dave had taken "Ozzie and Harriet" in different directions. I wish he had been a little better in that regard. Nonetheless, I’m proud and honored that he had the courage in me later on to bring me into the fold. He must have been watching the decisions I had made in my life and career.

Was there a reason why your uncle wasn’t more proactive in keeping the series alive?

Sam Nelson: To give a little back-story first…the last time "Ozzie and Harriet" was in broadcast was in the early ‘90s on the Disney Channel’s late night schedule. Incidentally, Uncle Dave also produced and directed an hour-long documentary about my dad called "Rick Nelson: A Brother Remembers", which aired in November 1987 on Disney.

Everybody comes to me and asks me the same thing: 'Why isn’t it on the air'? As simple as this sounds, the fact of the matter is I don’t know. I remember going to Uncle Dave and asking him why he didn’t keep the series in syndication.

He was in his early seventies, and it was a very daunting task to even begin to deal with "Ozzie and Harriet" stuff. Honestly, I think he was just tired and not motivated enough to do the work. Perhaps he considered that aspect of his life done. Time goes by very quickly.

At the time, there was this idea that cleaning up the show was exceedingly expensive. The show was the longest running sitcom in television history (1952–1966), and that’s a profoundly huge amount of material to try to conceptualize.

Film transfer in the ‘80s was 1500 times more expensive. It doesn’t take that much money today because it’s not rocket science. I think Uncle Dave got to a place where he might have investigated, but he decided not to pursue it.

What is the legacy of the series?

Sam Nelson: "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet" was the longest running, live action sitcom in the history of television. It defined an era in America. It literally raised a generation of Americans. Through my dad, it smuggled rock & roll into the living rooms of mainstream America.

My grandfather was incredibly innovative and incredibly smart. He wore all the hats on the show – editor, producer, director, and writer. He had been a lawyer during his early years. He was also a successful bandleader in the ‘30s and ‘40s, so there was a lot of compartmentalizing occurring.

I’ve tried to emulate my grandfather in many ways. He had the foresight to realize rock & roll was meaningful and that my dad was a great talent. He helped parlay that into something real in a very big way.

The legacy speaks for itself in the sense that the show has been out of the public consciousness for more than two decades. When it was back on the air in the ‘80s and early ‘90s, it didn’t have the staying power or significance it did when it first came out.

Today it still resonates. There was no illusion of we’re over here, and you’re over there. It was the people’s show, the first reality type show (a family about a real-life family). People don’t really comprehend all of those elements today, and I want to change their understanding.

Author's Note: Don't forget to investigate the 8-image slideshow accompanying this article. Photographs that are certain to bring a smile depict David and Rick at the height of their respective careers during the late '50s and early '60s, including two taken by their parents' backyard swimming pool at 1822 Camino Palmero in Los Angeles.

Further Reading: Rick was on the verge of a mini comeback when his plane tragically caught on fire en route to a New Year's Eve gig on December 31, 1985. A rockabilly-themed album was in the final recording stages, and the artist had found a new record label in Nashville named Curb Records. Unfortunately, the project was promptly placed in the dustbin whilst various figureheads argued over rights, whether the singer's vocals were satisfactory, and if the project deserved to see the light of day. Wrangling beyond the so-called myths revolving around the project, an in-depth feature ["True Love Ways: A Glimpse Inside the Tangled Web of Rick Nelson's Final Album"] sheds light on the ill-fated Curb sessions nearly 30 years later.

[bliss]

My fave son on that show was David. He seems like the level-headed teen/young man he played so well on the sitcom.

I read online that he chose not to be buried with his parents and little bro but in another cemetery.