Ricky nelson biography book

As a Boomer watching The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet on Amazon Prime, I was re-introduced to a TV family that became a part of my childhood history. As a child, I didn't have the appreciation for musical talent, so watching Ricky Nelson grow into his own as a musician at this stage of my life had me wondering why he got so lost between the tracks of rock and roll history. He was clearly talented and ahead of his time. So, I researched biographies and landed upon this one.

This insightful book flows with the trajectory of Rick Nelson's life, the ups and downs, the hits and misses, the regrets and successes. Philip Bashe carefully knits together the life of a down-to-earth decent guy from an exceptionally decent family who got caught up in the reality of the music industry. An industry that can make or break anyone. All Rick ever wanted was to sing and play rockabilly music his way. He was not about the money or the fame--he just wanted to be recognized as a trail blazer in his genre and always have a gig or a concert waiting to please his fans.

However, two major roadblocks kind of derailed his dreams until his tragic untimely death at the age of 45. One, he was born between Elvis and the Beatles, really bad timing for the revival of his kind of music. Two, Rick was just too nice. He caved to the very thing he didn't want--to be pigeon-holed into a 1950's rock review oldies' artist. It wasn't until 1972 when he wrote and released "Garden Party" that Rick's soul came out in his music. Also, he wasn't a money manager at all. Once his beloved father, Ozzie, passed, he left his finances up to a variety of managers. He also allowed his wife to spend well beyond their means because the concept of money never mattered to Rick. As his popularity began to rise around the mid-seventies, his marriage began to fail. That story is well-covered in the book. In short, Rick did not have the kind of ego needed to stand up to the people controlling his life. He spent many years being bounced around, sacrificing his own musical focus. Ironically, it wasn't until just before the plane crash that Rick began to find his own unique musical footing in life.

Rick's life is such a bittersweet tale of a simple, shy man who never really grew up. He was too young to marry and raise children, so his family life did suffer. His nuclear family--Ozzie, Harriet, and David--were almost too good to be true in that he was raised on television with much expectation to be that good little boy. That nuclear family was as close off-screen, but maybe Ozzie did too much by taking care of all of Rick's finances until his death in 1975. Again, Ozzie and Harriet were just being good parents doing the best they could at the time. Growing up in public is never easy for anyone. And no parent should lose a child before they die. Rick's death on that plane, along with his band and girlfriend, still reverberates in the world of rock and roll, not to mention how it changed his children and family forever.

Being reminded again of that awful crash and the lies surrounding its cause hurt my heart. Not only did Harriet have to bury her youngest son, but she had to be exposed to the lies that Rick's freebasing cocaine started the cabin fire. That was purely made up to sell papers. The real cause was a faulty heating system on a very old WWII plane. The facts bear this out. Rick imbibed in drugs, but he was never an addict.

We all make mistakes, we all have our regrets. This book gives Rick back his dignity. I can breathe freely again and know that the Ricky Nelson I first saw as a little girl on TV, and am still enjoying on re-runs with his adorable family, was truly that shy, lovable kid next door who grew up to be a fine young man.