When Ricky Nelson’s life was cut short in a plane crash on New Year’s Eve in 1985, he left behind a musical legacy beloved by fans still today.
The early teen idol — best known for his portrayal of “Little Ricky” in the TV series, “Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet,” and later for his singing and songwriting skills — also left behind twin sons, Gunnar and Matthew.
At 19, Gunnar and Matthew had lost more than just a father figure.
“We lost our best friend,” Gunnar told the Register in a recent telephone interview.
But while devastated, the twins were never dissuaded.
“Music was what we loved, what we knew,” he said. “Quitting was never an option.”
They worked their way through the L.A. music scene, honing their own song-making ability, until hitting the top of the charts with their triple-platinum album “After the Rain” in 1990.
Their chart-topping “(I Can’t Live Without Your) Love and Affection,” reached No. 1, setting a world record in the process.
With Gunnar and Matthew’s hit song, it marked the first time in music history three generations from the same family reached the No. 1 position in the music charts. Their grandfather, Ozzie Nelson, reached the pinnacle in 1934 with “And Then Some.” Ricky Nelson, meanwhile, had No. 1 hits with “Poor Little Fools” in 1960 and “Travelin’ Man” in 1962.
But even with their own successes, both Gunnar and Nelson wanted to remind listeners of the impact their father had left on the music scene.
They opened “Ricky Nelson Remembered,” a live music extravaganza of their father’s hit songs, including big screen video footage of the Nelson families, sprinkled in with interviews from celebrities influenced by Ricky Nelson.
“The response has really been amazing,” Gunnar said. “Five years later, we’re still selling out concerts.”
“Ricky Nelson Remembered” comes to the Bowlus Fine Arts Center at 7:30 p.m. March 10.
Demand for the tickets already has been high. Tickets may be purchased by calling the Bowlus at 365-4765, by email at BowlusCenter.org or at the door performance night.
PART OF HIS father’s legacy was his ongoing evolution within the music world, Gunnar said.
Ricky Nelson rode to music stardom largely thanks to his performances on “Ozzie and Harriet,” Gunnar noted, and his earliest songs helped legitimize early rock-and-roll for children and their parents.
