Ricky Nelson was adored by his fans for years as a teen pop idol and was one of the most televised musicians of his era.
While many know of the mysterious circumstances of his death, not many know how a last-minute choice saved the lives of his two young sons.
Ricky Nelson was born Eric Hilliard Nelson in Teaneck, New Jersey, on May 8, 1940. His parents, Ozzie Nelson and Harriet Hilliard Nelson were known for their popular sitcom: “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.”
The Nelson’s sitcom ran for sixteen years, a record in sitcom history. Ricky and his older brother, David, joined the cast of the show when they were about the ages of 8 and 10 as well.
Gunnar Nelson, Rick Nelson, Tracy Nelson, Kristin Nelson and Matthew Nelson pose for a portrait in 1968 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
Throughout this time, Ricky attended Gardner Street Public School, eventually reaching Hollywood High School. He tended to have an aversion to education, which caused friction with his father, who wanted Ricky to attend college.
By the time he began approaching the proper age for college attendance, he was already making more money than most established adults. His earnings were already roughly $100,000 a year and therefore exempted him from needing a college education.
At the age of 17, Ricky appeared in the episode “Ricky, the Drummer” of his family’s show. A song he played on that episode was recorded and released as his first single–”I’m Walking.” It quickly became number 4 on Billboard’s Best Sellers list.
His popularity skyrocketed and allowed him to often debut music on his parents’ show before releasing songs as singles to the public. Some notable hits included “Garden Party,” “It’s Late,” “Fools Rush In,” “For You,” “Poor Little Fool,” and “Travelin’ Man.”
Around 1961, Rickey began dating Kristin Harmon. Kristin was from a similar background, as she also was raised in Hollywood. Additionally, her family and the Nelsons were close friends.
The two married in April 1963. They had four children: Sam Hilliard Nelson, twins Matthew Gray Nelson and Gunnar Eric Nelson, and their daughter, Actress Tracy Kristine Nelson.
Ricky’s fame continued to increase throughout the ’60s as he consistently came out with Top 40’s hits. His popular music was in the growing rock n’ roll genre and led to various tours for him over the years.
Regretfully, he passed away suddenly and inexplicably during one of these tours.
Even though Ricky had to fly frequently for tours and marketing, he was known to detest flying. In order to maintain his job and see his fans, he apparently even went to psychotherapy sessions to try to feel better when flying.
For Ricky’s New Year’s show, Nelson and his boys, Matthew and Gunnar, were scheduled to go to Dallas together. But Gunnar stated:
“On that trip, we were meant to be on the plane. Just before we were scheduled to travel to Alabama to meet our dad and take a plane with him to the New Year’s show in Alabama, he called us.
A few days before they were meant to depart together, some kind of bad feeling or premonition prompted Ricky to call his sons and explain they would not fly together to Dallas.
A few days prior to the trip, Ricky’s planned route did have some reported engine issues.
When Ricky and his two sons boarded the DC-3 airliner in Alabama, the cabin began to fill with smoke as the aircraft approached its destination. Ricky and the other passengers tragically perished in the fire, but the pilot managed to safely land the aircraft in Texas.
Thirty years later, the cause of the plane fire is still unknown. Regarding the cause, rumors circulated, including obscene ones about Ricky and his ex-girlfriend Helen Blaine doing cocaine.
Ricky Nelson Remembered staring his twin sons Gunnar Nelson and Matthew Nelson perform at City Winery Nashville on July 30, 2017 in Nashville, Tennessee / Getty Images
Ricky’s brother David vehemently denies this possibility, explaining that his brother never used cocaine. Greg McDonald, Ricky’s manager, did later say that Ricky and Helen were asleep in the cabin when the fire started as well.
Tracy Nelson, Ricky’s daughter, revealed later to Larry King that she believes it was a mechanical issue that led to the tragedy.
According to Tracy, the aircraft—also known as the “Flying Bus” due to its slow speed—had a history of issues with its gasoline heater, which could have easily resulted in an unintentional fire.
Thirty years later, the origin of the fire remains unknown, but it is certain that Ricky Nelson’s foresights prevented a more serious family catastrophe.
In honor of their father, Ricky’s twin sons, Matthew and Gunnar, went on to have their own prosperous music careers. Matthew states: 5
“It is an open letter to our father, who was our best friend, and it is a continuous labor of love.”
