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.
Jersey Bounce
Ozzie Nelson and his Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A rhythm that really counts
The temperature always mounts
Wherever they play, the funny rhythm they play
It started on Journal Square
And somebody heard it there
He put it right on the air
Uptown, gave it new licks
Downtown, added some tricks
No town, makes it sound, the same
As where it came from
So if you don't feel so hot
Go out to some Jersey spot
And whether you're hep or not
The Jersey bounce'll make you swing
How I love that Jersey bounce
Oh come on and play that Jersey bounce
They call it that Jersey bounce
A rhythm that really counts
The temperature always mounts
Whenever they play that Jersey Bounce
It started on Journal Square
And somebody heard it there
He put it right on the air
That tune called the Jersey Bounce
Uptown, gave it new licks
Downtown, added some tricks
No town, make it sound the same
As where it came from
So if you don't feel so hot
Go out to some Jersey spot
And whether you're hep or not
The Jersey bounce'll make you swing
Ounce by ounce
The Jersey Bounce
Puts you right in the swing
That Jersey Bounce
It'll make you swing
Give me that Jersey Bounce.
The lyrics to Ozzie Nelson and his Orchestra’s “Jersey Bounce” is a celebration of a rhythmic music style that originated in Journal Square, New Jersey. The song heartily cheers the dance movement and its ability to make people swing irrespective of their status quo. The lyrics extol the rhythm’s ingenuity in inducing a maddening heat on the dance floor; a rhythm that counts and proliferates wherever it’s played. It’s a tune that has traversed the airwaves and is now ubiquitous in all musical spheres.
The song highlights the continuous progress of the music's movement from Journal Square, Uptown to Downtown New Jersey, and how the rhythm has been indigenized with unique twists and tricks. The lyrics advise listeners to visit any Jersey spot if they feel down and out and want to experience an extraordinary uplift on the dance floor by merely swaying to the Jersey bounce. Overall, the Jersey Bounce is an infectious rhythm that uplifts the spirit of anyone who listens to the beat.
Line by Line Meaning
They call it that Jersey bounce
The song is commonly known as 'Jersey Bounce'
A rhythm that really counts
It has a great beat
The temperature always mounts
It gets hot and exciting whenever the song is played
Wherever they play, the funny rhythm they play
The song is recognized for its unique beat wherever it is played
It started on Journal Square
The song's origin is traced back to a place called Journal Square
And somebody heard it there
Somebody heard the song when it was first played at Journal Square
He put it right on the air
The person who heard it first decided to broadcast the song on the radio
And now you hear it everywhere
The song is now popular and played all over
Uptown, gave it new licks
Musicians in the uptown area added their own elements to the song
Downtown, added some tricks
Musicians in the downtown area also added unique elements to the song
No town, makes it sound, the same
However, no other place could make the song sound as original as where it first originated from
As where it came from
The original place where the song was created was truly unique
So if you don't feel so hot
If you're not feeling great
Go out to some Jersey spot
Go to a place in Jersey to experience the song
And whether you're hep or not
Whether you're cool or not
The Jersey bounce'll make you swing
The Jersey Bounce will make you dance
How I love that Jersey bounce
I really love the Jersey Bounce
Oh come on and play that Jersey bounce
Please play the Jersey Bounce
Ounce by ounce
Gradually
The Jersey Bounce
The song Jersey Bounce
Puts you right in the swing
It makes you dance and enjoy the music
That Jersey Bounce
The Jersey Bounce song
It'll make you swing
The song will make you dance and enjoy the music
Give me that Jersey Bounce
Play the Jersey Bounce for me
Lyrics © JAY JAY PUBLISHING CO.
Written by: WALTER E JAGIELLO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Gregory Moore
Most underrated of the singing bandleaders of this era, in my opinion. He hired great players, picked great tunes, sang with taste and skill and was handsome and charming, to boot! Clearly, his legacy as a musician got buried by his TV fame as Dad Nelson. Maybe it's time his musical achievements were given a full-fledged re-assessment.
William Boiczuk
I've never heard it at this tempo before - it's great!
not2tees
Surprisingly punchy and fun - you can't help but think this kind of music will come around again sometime. The old Ozzie and Harriet TV show always seemed pretty boring to me as a kid. I wouldn't have guessed that Ozzie could get this swing together.
joel b
thank you for all your commets, I have been trying to learn the discography of the 20th century for so many years....your comments have helped
songanddanceman100
Good one! With the "wandering baritone sax".