They called him a teenage idol...

The late Ricky Nelson began his recording career with the release of I'm Walkin' - a cover of a Fats Domino song - in April of 1957. He continued making studio recordings until 1985. During this twenty-eight year period, he placed 40 singles on the charts, with 21 of them landing in the Top 40. He also had three number one singles, starting with Poor Little Fool and Travelin' Man.

Ricky recorded with the great lead guitarist James Burton, prior to Burton's work with Elvis Presley, and for 14 years was joined on record by the Jordanaires extraordinaire vocal group.

Ricky, of course, appeared on 435 episodes of The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet on TV, one factor that led the readers of People magazine to vote him the All-Time Number One Teenage Idol. Ricky's song (They call me a) Teenage Idol hit number 5 on the charts in 1962 and was followed by the number 6 single It's Up to You.

In 1963, Ricky became Rick and founded the Stone Canyon Band (SCB). The SCB must be given a great deal of credit for moving forward the country-rock sound now associated with bands like the Eagles, Poco, the Flying Burrito Brothers, and the Byrds.

In June of 1972, Rick and the SCB released what may well have been the greatest come-back single ever recorded, Garden Party. It was his third and final number 1 single. (The story of how Rick came to write this song has been so often told that it won't be repeated here.)

Rick and the members of his band died tragically in a plane crash on December 31, 1985, near DeKalb, Texas. In a sign of sad irony, the final song he recorded was Buddy Holly's True Love Ways, and there are reports that the final song Rick sang on stage was one of Holly's earliest country-rock marvels, Rave On.

Rick Nelson was elected into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame in year two of the Hall's existence, 1987. John Fogerty served as his presenter.

For a great single-disc introduction to, and overview of, Rick's career we recommend Rick Nelson Greatest Hits. This finely remastered compilation from 2002 contains twenty of his twenty-one Top 40 hits in chronological order. Also highly recommended - and it makes a great Christmas gift for boomers and prospective fans - is the 4-CD, 100 song, collection entitled Legacy. The sound on Legacy is superb, with some songs appearing in stereo for the very first time.

We'll have more on this site on one of Rick's best albums at some point in the near future. Stay tuned and remember to Believe What You Say.