Biography

Ricky Nelson, or Rick Nelson (born Eric Hilliard Nelson; May 8, 1940 – December 31, 1985), was an American singer-songwriter, instrumentalist, and actor. He placed fifty-three songs on the Billboard Hot 100 between 1957 and 1973, including nineteen top-ten hits, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on January 21, 1987. While Nelson preferred rockabilly and up-tempo rock songs like "Believe What You Say", "I Got A Feeling", "My Bucket's Got A Hole In It", "Hello Mary Lou", "It's Late", "Stood Up", his smooth, calm voice made him a natural to sing ballads. He had major success with "Travelin' Man", "A Teenager's Romance", "Poor Little Fool", "Young World", "Lonesome Town" and "Teenage Idol". In addition to his recording career, Nelson appeared in movies, including the Howard Hawks western classic Rio Bravo with John Wayne and Dean Martin (1959), plus The Wackiest Ship In the Army (1960) and Love and Kisses (1965).