by Robert Wilkinson
Here's another birthday tribute to a Taurus rock 'n roll trailblazer. He bridged the gap between early Rockabilly Rock and Roll and the great American Top 40 music machine, and was enormously popular for years. From the Rick Nelson website, a quote from Bob Dylan: "He sang his songs calm and steady like he was in the middle of a storm, men hurling past him. His voice was sort of mysterious and made you fall into a certain mood." Links to videos and more below the fold.
Ricky (later Rick) Nelson was one of the definitive talents of his era, and the first "Teen Superstar," a teenager singing to teenagers about teenage themes. I was given the 45 (remember them?) of "Poor Little Fool" for my 8th birthday in 1959, and his voice hooked me as a fan for years. His performances on the Ozzie and Harriet Show are generally accepted as the first music videos, putting him as a pioneer in what has become a global art form. If you don't know who he was, or just want to know more, this site includes a great article from the LA Times outlining just how important Ricky Nelson was in the history of rockabilly as well as rock and roll.
For your enjoyment, a very early video from the Ozzie and Harriet show, "Lonesome Town." The same clip of this song from another source here. There are video clips out there of Ricky doing "Hello Mary Lou" and "Traveling Man" also from the Ozzie and Harriet show, but they have some obnoxious ads you have to get through first, so I didn't include them here. But if you want a treat, here's Fats Domino and Ricky Nelson doing "I'm Walkin'," a major hit for both.
Ricky Nelson is also part of a unique occurrence in the history of music. In an interesting historical piece of trivia, he, his dad, and his sons are the only instance of three generations all scoring a number one hit on the pop charts. Happy Birthday, Rick. You would have been 67 if you hadn't gone down New Year's Eve in a plane crash like so many other legends of rock and roll, killed too young (45) but leaving a legacy for the ages. Thanks for the memories. Your sweet, steady voice will resonate forever.
© Copyright 2007 Robert Wilkinson
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