As a teenage pop idol, Ricky Nelson was one of the most televised performers of his day and was loved by his followers for years.
Few people are aware of how a last-minute decision saved the lives of his two young sons, despite the fact that many are aware of the odd circumstances surrounding his death.
On May 8, 1940, Ricky Nelson was born Eric Hilliard Nelson in Teaneck, New Jersey. Both his parents, Harriet Hilliard Nelson and Ozzie Nelson, were well-known for their hit sitcom, “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.”
In sitcom history, the Nelson’s sitcom set a record by running for sixteen years. At roughly the ages of 8 and 10, Ricky and his older brother, David, also joined the show’s cast.
Ricky went to Gardner Street Public School during this period and eventually made it to Hollywood High School. He had a tendency to dislike learning, which led to conflict with his father, who preferred that Ricky go to college.
He was already earning more money than the majority of established adults by the time he started to get close to the legal age to attend college. Since he was already making about $100,000 annually, he was free from the requirement to attend college.
Ricky made an appearance in his family’s show’s “Ricky, the Drummer” episode when he was seventeen years old. His first single, “I’m Walking,” was a recording of a song he performed during that show. It swiftly rose to the fourth position on Billboard’s list of best sellers.
His fame soared, enabling him to frequently make his musical debut on his parents’ show before making his songs available to the general public as singles. The songs “Garden Party,” “It’s Late,” “Fools Rush In,” “For You,” “Poor Little Fool,” and “Travelin’ Man” were among the noteworthy hits.
Rickey started dating Kristin Harmon in 1961. Kristin, who was also raised in Hollywood, came from a similar background. The Nelsons were also good friends with her family.
April 1963 marked the couple’s marriage. Sam Hilliard Nelson, the twins Matthew Gray and Gunnar Eric Nelson, and their daughter, actress Tracy Kristine Nelson, were their four children.
Throughout the 1960s, Ricky’s popularity grew as he continued to release Top 40 hits. Over the years, he went on several tours thanks to his well-liked songs in the expanding rock ‘n’ roll genre.
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 Dallas, he contacted us.
A few days prior to their scheduled departure, Ricky called his boys to inform them that they would not be traveling to Dallas together due to some sort of uneasy feeling or foretelling.
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.
David, Ricky’s brother, strongly disputes this theory, claiming that his brother has never used cocaine. Later, Ricky’s manager, Greg McDonald, acknowledged that Ricky and Helen were also asleep in the cabin when the fire broke out.
Later, Ricky’s daughter Tracy Nelson told Larry King that she thinks the tragedy was caused by a mechanical problem.
Acquiring the skill of stunt driving. Denver in the 1990s.
Tracy posted On Thursday, April 14, 2022, Kristine Nelson
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.”
Peace be with you, Ricky! Comment below with your thoughts on his life-saving discovery.
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