Biography

Ricky's children Tracy Nelson, Matthew Nelson, and Gunnar Nelson always maintained that their father's 1985 plane crash death was the result of a malfunctioning heater and not of alleged drug use on board the plane.

The last song Nelson performed, on the evening preceding the fatal plane crash, was Buddy Holly's "Rave On"--the last song Holly had performed before his own fatal plane crash.

He at first had no ambition to be a rock singer. When a girlfriend told him that she was in love with Elvis Presley, Rick told her that he was a rock singer, too. He hurriedly cut a cover of Fats Domino's song "I'm Walkin'", which became a big hit and started his musical career.

He was engaged to Helen Blair at the time of his death. She was killed in the plane crash with him and his band.

When Rick Nelson appeared at The Rock Revival at Madison Square Garden in 1971, he was unaware that he was to appear in clothing from the era of the height of his popularity. Not aware of this, he appeared in contemporary clothing and was booed for it. As a result of this, he wrote the hit song "Garden Party".