Ricky Nelson is a true legend of American pop culture in the early second half of the 50th century. He was a real idol of schoolchildren and teenagers in the late 1960s of the mid-XNUMXs of the last century. Nelson is considered one of the first musicians in the rock and roll genre who managed to bring this style to the mainstream.
Biography of musician Ricky Nelson
The singer's birthplace is Teaneck, New Jersey. In one of the local hospitals on May 8, 1940, the future rock and roll star was born. It seems that the boy's path was prepared in advance - he was born into a family of singers, actors and musicians. His father, Ozzy Nelson, was a member of a professional orchestra for a long time. Mother, Harriet Nelson, was a very famous actress and singer in America. It was the parents who instilled in the boy a love of music and brought him to the stage for the first time.
And it happened when Ricky was only 8 years old. In October 1952, a sitcom was broadcast on television and radio stations in the United States, which received incredible popularity and continued for 14 years. The show was called "The Adventures of Ozzy and Harriet" and is dedicated to the life of the Nelson family.
Filming of the show began long before the release on television, just when the boy was 8 years old. Together with his parents and older brother, Ricky participated in the filming, gradually getting used to the cameras and close attention from the public. Already 9 years after the first test on the set, the boy decided to devote himself to a musical career. And also enjoyed great popularity among the youth of that time. In the future, he had a record of hundreds of famous compositions and world fame.
The life of the star ended tragically the day before the onset of 1986. On December 31, 1985, Ricky flew with his fiancee and musicians in a private jet. Just two miles from their destination, the plane crashed and caught fire. All passengers died on the spot.
Only two pilots managed to escape, who managed to get out of the plane before the fire started. Nelson has four children from his ex-wife Sharon Harmon (married until 1982) and one illegitimate son from Eric Crewe (born in 1981, but paternity was officially established only in 1985).
Ricky Nelson's first job
The musician's first solo album Ricky was released in 1957, when the young man was only 17 years old. Despite his young age, Ricky managed to conquer the American scene. Thousands of teenagers in the United States listened to a boy who was only 2-3 years older than them, but had already managed to achieve huge popularity. In 1957, Ricky topped the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time. He became the first solo artist on the chart.
Ricky Nelson's fast-paced music career
After that, the singer's albums began to be released with a difference of one (in rare cases, two) years. Total from 1957 to 1981. 17 discs were released, songs from which constantly topped various charts. After the death of the musician, one official collection of live performances, Live, 1983-1985, was published. It included a recording of the singer's last concerts until his death.
Even during his lifetime, or rather from 1957 to 1970, more than 50 singles of the musician hit the main US hit parade. Almost 20 of them occupied leading positions. What was the reason for such incredible popularity? The first thing that can be assumed is the unique voice of the singer.
However, critics very often argue about this. With respect to the musician's heritage, many of them assure that Ricky's voice has no special features, and his vocal abilities cannot be called outstanding.
Musical style of Ricky Nelson
Reviewers explain the musician's popularity by the fact that he was able to play at the intersection of genres. Rock and roll, which was then very popular, still remained a specific genre and did not always fall under the demands of the pop scene. Nelson managed to interest the listener in this genre.
He created music that became more melodic than the hits of Elvis Presley, Gene Vincent and other musical idols of the mid-XNUMXth century. On the one hand, it was incendiary music with the inherent energy of rock and roll. On the other hand, it was soft and melodic music, understandable to the mass listener.
Critics especially appreciated the period of creativity from 1957 to 1962. Thanks to his perseverance and constant work, Ricky managed to create a significant amount of music performed in the same style. At the same time, each new single was not inferior in quality to the previous one. Therefore, the singer was able not only to quickly increase his popularity, but also to firmly gain a foothold on the big stage for many years.
The number of his "fans" has been increasing for many years. Nelson has become one of the most recognizable personalities in the United States. Two years after his death (in 1987), his name was included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
His contribution remains tangible for many years after the musician's death. Today on the famous "Walk of Fame" (in California) you can find a star with the name of Ricky Nelson. It was installed in 1994 for an invaluable contribution to the development of music.
