The second son of Swedish parents, George Waldemar and Ethel Irene (Orr) Nelson, he was born in Jersey City, New Jersey and raised in the affluent suburb of Ridgefield Park, where the street of Ridgefield Park High School, where he attended and starred on the football team, is now named after him. He became an Eagle Scout at 13 and in adult life a recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award from the Boy Scouts of America.[1] He graduated from Rutgers University, where he played football despite his slight build, was a member of Cap and Skull,[2] and entered law school. In college, he played saxophone in a small band and coached football to earn money, but faced with the Depression, he turned to music as a full-time career.
Ozzie started his entertainment career as a band leader. He formed and led the Ozzie Nelson Band, and had some initial limited success. He made his own 'big break' in 1930. The New York Daily Mirror ran a poll of its readers to determine their favorite band. He knew that news vendors got credit from the newspaper for unsold copies by returning the front page and discarding the rest of the issue. Gathering hundreds of discarded newspapers, the band filled out ballots in their favor. They edged out Paul Whiteman and were pronounced the winners. From 1930 through the 1940s Nelson's band recorded prolifically—first on Brunswick, then Vocalion and finally Bluebird. In 1934 Nelson enjoyed success with his hit song, "Over Somebody Else's Shoulder" which he introduced. Nelson was their primary vocalist (and from August, 1932) duets with Harriet Hilliard. Nelson's calm, easy vocal style was popular on records and radio and quite similar to son Rick's voice.
In October 1935 he married the band's vocalist Harriet Hilliard. The couple had two children. David, born in 1936, became an actor and director. Eric ("Ricky"), born in 1940, became an actor and singer.
Ozzie Nelson appeared with his band in feature films and short subjects of the 1940s, and often played speaking parts, displaying a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor (as in the 1942 musical Strictly in the Groove). He shrewdly promoted the band by agreeing to appear in Soundies, three-minute musical movies shown in "film jukeboxes" of the 1940s. In 1952, when he and his family were established as radio and TV favorites, they starred in a feature film, Here Come the Nelsons.
In the 1940s Ozzie began to look for a way to spend more time with his family, especially his growing sons. Besides band appearances, he and Harriet had been regulars on Red Skelton's radio show. He developed and produced his own radio series, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. The show went on the air in 1944, with the sons played by actors until 1949, and in 1952 it moved over to television. The show starred the entire family, and America watched Ozzie and Harriet raise their boys. Nelson was producer and co-writer of the entire series. He was very hands-on and involved with every aspect of the radio and then TV program.
In 1973, Ozzie Nelson published his autobiography, "Ozzie," (Prentice Hall, 1973, ISBN 0-13-647768-2). He suffered from recurring malignant tumors in his later years, died of liver cancer at age 69, and is interred with his wife and son Ricky in the Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles, California.
For his contribution to the television industry, Ozzie Nelson has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6555 Hollywood Boulevard. He has an additional star with his wife at 6260 Hollywood Boulevard for their contribution to radio.
Dream A Little Dream Of Me
Ozzie Nelson and his Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Night breezes seem to whisper "I love you"
Birds singing in the sycamore tree
Dream a little dream of me
Say "Night-ie night" and kiss me
Just hold me tight and tell me you'll miss me
While I'm alone and blue as can be
Stars fading, but I linger on, dear
Still craving your kiss
I'm longing to linger till dawn, dear
Just saying this
Sweet dreams till sunbeams find you
Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you
But in your dreams whatever they be
Dream a little dream of me
Stars fading, but I linger on, dear
Still craving your kiss
I'm longing to linger till dawn, dear
Just saying this
Sweet dreams till sunbeams find you
Sweet dreams that leave all worries far behind you
But in your dreams whatever they be
Dream a little dream of me
The song "Dream A Little Dream Of Me" by Ozzie Nelson and his Orchestra is a soothing and romantic tune that encourages listeners to let go of their worries and fall into a peaceful slumber. The lyrics describe a lover whispering sweet nothings to their partner as they drift off to sleep. The stars shining above them and the night breeze gently rustling through the tree branches only heighten the sense of intimacy and tranquility.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "Dream a little dream of me", which serves as a reminder to the listener to let their mind wander and allow themselves to indulge in fantasies and hopeful thoughts. The lyrics also convey a sense of yearning, as the singer admits to still craving their lover even as they fade out of view. The final lines of the song offer a comforting sentiment, wishing the listener sweet dreams and hoping that they will find peace and restful sleep.
Overall, "Dream A Little Dream Of Me" is a beautiful and evocative song that captures the essence of romantic longing and the allure of a peaceful night's sleep.
Line by Line Meaning
Stars shining bright above you
There are beautiful stars shining above you.
Night breezes seem to whisper "I love you"
The night breeze seems to whisper that it loves you.
Birds singing in the sycamore tree
There are birds singing in the sycamore tree.
Dream a little dream of me
Spend some time dreaming about me.
Say "Night-ie night" and kiss me
Say goodnight and kiss me.
Just hold me tight and tell me you'll miss me
Hold me tight and tell me that you'll miss me.
While I'm alone and blue as can be
While I am lonely and sad.
Dream a little dream of me
Spend some time dreaming about me.
Stars fading, but I linger on, dear
The stars are fading, but I want to stay with you.
Still craving your kiss
I still want to kiss you.
I'm longing to linger till dawn, dear
I want to stay with you until morning.
Just saying this
I am just telling you this.
Sweet dreams till sunbeams find you
Have sweet dreams until the sun shines on you.
Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you
Have sweet dreams that make you forget all your worries.
But in your dreams whatever they be
Whatever you dream about.
Dream a little dream of me
Spend some time dreaming about me.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JULIE GOLD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Tracy Nelson
My grandparents. You did such a lovely job putting this together. Many of those photos are right here in my scrapbook.
jesmelric
I'm so glad you are pleased with it, I can't tell you how enjoyment I have gotten from the show :)
Cynthia Ennis
That’s so wonderful! You’re all so loved by your fans too numerous to count though all these years & will be by more to come! 💗💕🌸 My mom loved mysteries & we always loved The Father Dowling Mysteries! All the best to you & your family!
Angelique Collins
YES!
Richard Sisk
Nice video! I once met Ozzie and Harriet and they were the greatest people. Ozzie in particular was very outgoing and talked with me like we were old friends. Harriet was a bit quieter but lovely as always. Thank you!
excelsior999
I never saw Ozzie Nelson on TV without a smile on his face.
J Fuzz
Thanks for this beautiful video to go with a great old tune ... The Nelson's varied contributions to American entertainment are too little remembered.
karjayk88
Great tribute to all of the Nelsons! Thank you so much! :)
Tammy Nelson
I love this song ❤️ God bless everyone
Cynthia Ennis
Me too! 😊 God bless you, as well.