Born: May 8th, 1940, Teaneck, New Jersey, United States.
Died: December 31st, 1985, De Kalb, Texas, United States.
Nelson was a child prodigy, born into a showbiz family, his father Ozzie was a bandleader and his mother Harriet was the singer. They had their own radio show & subsequent TV show, The Adventures Of Ozzie & Harriet, in which Nelson featured with his brother David. Nelson appeared in his first film aged 7.
A 'Teenage Idol' of the late 1950s and early 1960s, Nelson gained 9 gold records by the age of 21 in 1961. His single, 'Travelin' Man', was a huge #1 hit that year, selling over 2 million copies. The flip-side 'Hello, Mary Lou' went on to be his biggest hit ever, reaching #1 in 32 countries.
In April 1963, Nelson married Kristin Harmon and they had a daughter, Tracy, and 3 sons, Gunner, Matthew (who formed the music duo, Nelson) and Sam. They were later divorced. Nelson's career gained a high spot in 1972 with the release of 'Garden Party', which went gold and also won a Grammy Award in 1986 for Best Spoken Word Recording.
On New Year's eve 1985, en route from Alabama to a gig in Dallas, Nelson's plane crash-landed near DeKalb, TX and burst into flames. Only the pilot & co-pilot escaped. Posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 (Performer), and the Rockabilly Hall of Fame, Nelson's grave is close to those of his parents at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles, L.A. County, California, USA.
All the early albums from 1957 to 1961 were recorded at Master Recorders, engineered by Bunny Robyn and produced by Jimmie Haskell.
Nelson had the #1 song on the first ever Billboard Hot 100 chart with 'Poor Little Fool' in August 1958.
Ricky Nelson
Ricky Nelson
Ricky Nelson
Ricky Nelson
Ricky Nelson
Ricky Nelson
Ricky Nelson
Ricky Nelson
Ricky Nelson
Ricky Nelson
Ricky Nelson
Ricky Nelson
Ricky Nelson
Ricky Nelson
Ricky Nelson
Ricky Nelson
Ricky Nelson
Ricky Nelson
Ricky Nelson
Ricky Nelson
December 30, 1985
P.J.'s Alley
Guntersville, Alabama, United StatesHis final concert. He died in a plane crash the next day on his way to a show in Dallas.
1. Stood Up / Waitin' in School
2. Milk Cow Blues(Kokomo Arnold cover)
3. My Bucket's Got a Hole in It(Clarence Williams cover)
4. Never Be Anyone Else but You
5. I'm Walkin'(Fats Domino cover)
6. Travelin' Man
7. Hello Mary Lou(Gene Pitney cover)
8. Garden Party(Rick Nelson & The Stone Canyon Band cover)
9. You Know What I Mean(Mickey Jupp cover)
10. That's All Right(Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup cover)
11. Poor Little Fool
12. Believe What You Say
13. It's Late(Dorsey Burnette cover)
14. One After 909(The Beatles cover)
15. Rave On!(Sonny West cover)
December 27, 1985
Florida Citrus Bowl
Orlando, Florida, United StatesAugust 22, 1985
Universal Amphitheatre
Universal City, California, United States1. Stood Up / Waitin' in School
2. I Got a Feeling
3. Travelin' Man
4. Hello Mary Lou(Gene Pitney cover)
5. Garden Party(Rick Nelson & The Stone Canyon Band cover)
6. You Know What I Mean(Mickey Jupp cover)
7. That's All Right(Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup cover)
8. Believe What You Say
9. Never Be Anyone Else but You
10. Fools Rush In (Where Angels Fear to Tread)(Bob Crosby and His Orchestra cover)
11. Poor Little Fool
12. It's Late(Dorsey Burnette cover)
13. Honky Tonk Women(The Rolling Stones cover)
14. My Bucket's Got a Hole in It(Clarence Williams cover)
15. Boppin' the Blues(Carl Perkins cover)
16. Lonesome Town
June 22, 1985
Regner Park
West Bend, Wisconsin, United StatesAugust 18, 1985
Concord Pavilion
Concord, California, United StatesNovember 17, 1985
Royal Albert Hall
London, England, United KingdomNovember 15, 1985
Brighton Dome
Brighton, England, United KingdomJuly 14, 1985
Orange County Fairgrounds
Costa Mesa, California, United StatesMay 12, 1985
City Gardens
Trenton, New Jersey, United StatesNovember 11, 1985
Foyer Performance Space
Bristol, England, United Kingdom1. It's Late(Dorsey Burnette cover)
2. Never Be Anyone Else but You
November 10, 1985
Manchester Apollo
Manchester, England, United KingdomMay 9, 1985
Skyline Hotel Ballroom
Toronto, Ontario, CanadaNovember 8, 1985
Newcastle City Hall
Newcastle upon Tyne, England, United KingdomAugust 7, 1985
Hemet Farmers Market
Hemet, California, United States1. It's Late(Dorsey Burnette cover)
2. Stood Up / Waitin' in School
3. My Bucket's Got a Hole in It(Clarence Williams cover)
4. Never Be Anyone Else but You
5. Travelin' Man
6. That's All Right(Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup cover)
Mentions His Friend Elvis7. I'm Walkin'(Fats Domino cover)
8. Garden Party(Rick Nelson & The Stone Canyon Band cover)
9. Hello Mary Lou(Gene Pitney cover)
10. Poor Little Fool
11. Believe What You Say
12. You Know What I Mean(Mickey Jupp cover)
13. Milk Cow Blues(Kokomo Arnold cover)
14. Fools Rush In (Where Angels Fear to Tread)(Bob Crosby and His Orchestra cover)
November 6, 1985
Mayfair
Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom1. One After 909(The Beatles cover)
November 5, 1985
De Montfort Hall
Leicester, England, United Kingdom1. Hello Mary Lou(Gene Pitney cover)
August 4, 1985
Ontario Place Forum
Toronto, Ontario, Canada1. Stood Up / Waitin' in School
2. Milk Cow Blues(Kokomo Arnold cover)
3. I'm Walkin'(Fats Domino cover)
4. Fools Rush In (Where Angels Fear to Tread)(Bob Crosby and His Orchestra cover)
5. My Bucket's Got a Hole in It(Clarence Williams cover)
6. Travelin' Man
7. Hello Mary Lou(Gene Pitney cover)
8. Garden Party(Rick Nelson & The Stone Canyon Band cover)
9. You Know What I Mean(Mickey Jupp cover)
10. Never Be Anyone Else but You
11. That's All Right(Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup cover)
12. Poor Little Fool
13. One After 909(The Beatles cover)
14. Believe What You Say
15. Merry Christmas, Baby(Johnny Moore’s Three Blazers cover)
16. Honky Tonk Women(The Rolling Stones cover)
17. It's Late(Dorsey Burnette cover)
18. Rave On!(Sonny West cover)
November 3, 1985
Capitol Theatre
Aberdeen, Scotland, United KingdomNovember 2, 1985
Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre
Glasgow, Scotland, United KingdomDecember 1, 1984
Five Flags Center
Dubuque, Iowa, United StatesSome of Ricky Nelson's most popular tracks include Lonesome Town, Travelin' Man - Remastered, I Will Follow You, Lonesome Town - 1990 Digital Remaster, A Teenager's Romance. Listen to these songs and discover more from their extensive catalog.
Born: May 8th, 1940, Teaneck, New Jersey, United States.Died: December 31st, 1985, De Kalb, Texas, United States.Nelson was a child prodigy, born into a showbiz family, his father Ozzie was a bandlead... Read the full biography on this page.
You can find Ricky Nelson vinyl records and merchandise on eBay. We feature a curated selection of vinyl releases and collectibles available for purchase.
View All Similar Artists
Follow Ricky Nelson
