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Eric Hilliard Nelson, known professionally as Ricky Nelson until his 21st birthday when he officially dropped the "y" and simply became Rick Nelson, was an American pop star, musician, and singer-songwriter. From age eight he starred alongside his family in the radio and television series The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. In 1957 he began a long and successful career as a popular recording artist. As one of the top "teen idols" of the 1950s his fame led to a motion picture role co-starring alongside John Wayne and Dean Martin in Howard Hawks's western feature film Rio Bravo (1959). He placed 53 songs on the Billboard Hot 100, and its predecessors, between 1957 and 1973, including "Poor Little Fool" in 1958, which was the first #1 song on Billboard magazine's then-newly created Hot 100 chart. He recorded 19 additional Top 10 hits and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on January 21, 1987. In 1996 Nelson was ranked #49 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time.
Birth Name
Eric Hilliard Nelson
Born
Wednesday, 08 May 1940
Died
Tuesday, 31 December 1985
Actor Filmography
Title | Character | Year |
---|
Uncle Tom | Self | 2020 |
A Year in Music | Self | 2019 |
Rock Legends | Self | 2013 |
The Wrecking Crew! | Self | 2008 |
Pioneers of Television | Ricky Nelson - Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet | 2008 |
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Runnin' Down a Dream | (archive footage) | 2007 |
John Wayne: Behind the Scenes | (archive footage) | 2007 |
Ricky Nelson Sings | Self | 2005 |
Saturday Night Live: The Best of Gilda Radner | Self | 2005 |
Television: The First Fifty Years | Self | 1999 |
Actor Filmography
Title | Character | Year |
---|
Uncle Tom | Self | 2020 |
A Year in Music | Self | 2019 |
Rock Legends | Self | 2013 |
The Wrecking Crew! | Self | 2008 |
Pioneers of Television | Ricky Nelson - Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet | 2008 |
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Runnin' Down a Dream | (archive footage) | 2007 |
John Wayne: Behind the Scenes | (archive footage) | 2007 |
Ricky Nelson Sings | Self | 2005 |
Saturday Night Live: The Best of Gilda Radner | Self | 2005 |
Television: The First Fifty Years | Self | 1999 |
Behind the Music | Self | 1997 |
The History of Rock 'n' Roll | Self | 1995 |
La classe américaine | L'ami de George / George's Friend (archive footage) | 1993 |
Technicolormies | (archive footage) | 1991 |
Death in Hollywood | Self | 1990 |
A Tribute to Rick Nelson | Self | 1986 |
Our Time | Self | 1985 |
Solid Gold | Self / Self - Co-Host | 1980 |
The Toni Tennille Show | Self | 1979 |
CBS Library | Skeeter | 1979 |
The Love Boat | Ted Wilcox / Alex Fowler | 1977 |
Tales of the Unexpected | Sonny Blue | 1977 |
The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries | Tony Eagle | 1977 |
The Shootist | Books' Fellow Lawman in Flashback | 1976 |
Saturday Night Live | Various / Self - Host | 1975 |
Dinah! | Self | 1974 |
Petrocelli | Country Boy White | 1974 |
Rock Concert | Self | 1973 |
Ozzie's Girls | Ricky | 1973 |
The Men Who Made the Movies: Howard Hawks | Various unspecified characters in various archival movie clips | 1973 |
The Streets of San Francisco | William T. 'Billy' Jeffers | 1972 |
The Midnight Special | Singer / Himself | 1972 |
The Old Grey Whistle Test | Self | 1971 |
Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law | Gar Kellerman / Vic | 1971 |
Rollin' on the River | Self | 1971 |
The Everly Brothers Show | Self | 1970 |
McCloud | Jimmy Roy Taylor | 1970 |
Something Else | Self | 1970 |
Swing Out, Sweet Land | Confederate Soldier | 1970 |
The David Frost Show | Self | 1969 |
The Over-the-Hill Gang | Jeff Rose | 1969 |
Della | Self | 1969 |
The Johnny Cash Show | Self - Singer | 1969 |
The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour | Self | 1969 |
The Jim Nabors Hour | Self | 1968 |
The Movie Orgy | Self (archival footage) | 1968 |
Hondo | Jesse James | 1967 |
Malibu U. | Self - Host / Self | 1967 |
The Joey Bishop Show | Self | 1967 |
ABC Stage 67 | Carlos O'Connor | 1966 |
Love & Kisses | Buzzy / Buzzy Pringle | 1965 |
Shivaree | Self | 1965 |
Hollywood a Go Go | Self - Singer | 1964 |
Shindig! | Self - Singer | 1964 |
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson | Himself / Himself - Guest (as Rick Nelson) | 1962 |
The Mike Douglas Show | Himself - Vocalist (as Rick Nelson) / Himself / Himself - Vocalist / Himself (as Rick Nelson) | 1961 |
The Wackiest Ship in the Army | Ens. Tommy J. Hanson / Tommy Hanson | 1960 |
Rio Bravo | Colorado Ryan | 1959 |
The Story of Three Loves | Tommy Clayton Campbell Jr. (segment "Mademoiselle") / Young Tommy | 1953 |
General Electric Theater | Lonnie Follett | 1953 |
The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet | Rick Nelson / Ricky / Ricky Nelson / Rick / Young Ozzie | 1952 |
Here Come the Nelsons | Ricky Nelson | 1952 |
What's My Line? | Himself - Mystery Guest | 1950 |
The Ed Sullivan Show | Self - Singer / Rick Nelson | 1948 |
Year | Type | Category | Won |
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1959 | Golden Globe | Most Promising Newcomer - Male | Nominated |