Eric Hilliard "Ricky" Nelson (May 8, 1940 – December 31, 1985) was an Ameri… Read Full Bio ↴Eric Hilliard "Ricky" Nelson (May 8, 1940 – December 31, 1985) was an American musician, songwriter and actor. From age eight he starred alongside his family in the radio and television series The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. In 1957, he began a long and successful career as a popular recording artist. The expression "teen idol" was first coined to describe Nelson, and his fame as both a recording artist and television star also led to a motion picture role co-starring alongside John Wayne, Dean Martin and Angie Dickinson in Howard Hawks's western feature film Rio Bravo (1959). He placed 53 songs on the Billboard Hot 100, and its predecessors, between 1957 and 1973, including "Poor Little Fool" in 1958, which was the first number one song on Billboard magazine's then-newly created Hot 100 chart. He recorded 19 additional top ten hits and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on January 21, 1987. In 1996 Nelson was ranked No. 49 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time.

Nelson began his entertainment career in 1949, playing himself in the radio sitcom series, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. In 1952, he appeared in his first feature film, Here Come the Nelsons. In 1957, he recorded his first single ("I'm Walkin' b/w "A Teenager's Romance", Verve 10047X4S), debuted as a singer on the television version of the sitcom, and released the No. 1 album titled Ricky. In 1958, Nelson released his first #1 single, "Poor Little Fool", and in 1959 received a Golden Globe nomination for "Most Promising Male Newcomer" after starring in Rio Bravo. A few films followed, and when the television series was cancelled in 1966, Nelson made occasional appearances as a guest star on various television programs. In his twenties, he moved away from the pop music of his youth, and began to perform in a more country rock style. After recording several albums with mostly session musicians, most of which flopped, he formed the Stone Canyon Band in 1969 and experienced a career resurgence, buoyed by the live album In Concert at the Troubadour, 1969 and had a surprise hit with 1972's "Garden Party", which peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100. His comeback was short-lived, however, as his record label was bought out and folded, and his followup albums were not well promoted by his new label. He continued to perform live and take small television roles through the 1970s, though his label dropped him by the end of the decade. He released two more albums, with unimpressive results, before his death in a plane crash on New Year's Eve, 1985.

Nelson was married once, to Sharon Kristin Harmon, from 1963 until their divorce in 1982. They had four children: actress Tracy Nelson, twin sons and musicians Gunnar and Matthew, and actor Sam.

Nelson was born on May 8, 1940, in Teaneck, New Jersey. He was the second son of entertainment couple Harriet Hilliard Nelson (born Peggy Lou Snyder; July 18, 1909 – October 2, 1994) and Ozzie Nelson (March 20, 1906 – June 3, 1975). His father Ozzie was of half Swedish descent. The Nelsons' older son was actor David Nelson (October 24, 1936 – January 11, 2011).

On May 8, 1961 (his 21st birthday), he officially modified his recording name from "Ricky Nelson" to "Rick Nelson". His childhood nickname proved hard to shake, especially among the generation who had watched him grow up on "Ozzie and Harriet". Even in the 1980s, when Nelson realized his dream of meeting Carl Perkins, Perkins noted that he and "Ricky" were the last of the "rockabilly breed".

In 1963, Nelson signed a 20-year contract with Decca Records. After some early successes with the label, most notably 1964's "For You" (#6), Nelson's chart career came to a dramatic halt in the wake of Beatlemania, The British Invasion, and later the Counterculture era. However, instead of dropping him, Decca kept him on board.

In the mid-1960s, Nelson began to move towards country music, becoming a pioneer in the country-rock genre. He was one of the early influences of the so-called "California Sound" (which would include singers like Jackson Browne and Linda Ronstadt and bands such as Eagles). Yet Nelson himself did not reach the Top 40 again until 1970, when he recorded Bob Dylan's "She Belongs to Me" with the Stone Canyon Band, featuring Randy Meisner, who in 1971 became a founding member of the Eagles, and former Buckaroo steel guitarist Tom Brumley.

Nelson died in a plane crash on New Year's Eve 1985, flying from Guntersville, Alabama, to Dallas, Texas, for a concert. The plane he was on, a Douglas DC-3, had a history of mechanical problems. All seven passengers, including Blair, died. Only the two pilots survived.

Nelson's funeral took place at the Church of the Hills, Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills Cemetery, on January 6, 1986, and he was privately buried in the Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills Cemetery, in Los Angeles. His estate was bequeathed to his children.

I'm Talking About You
Rick Nelson Lyrics

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Let me tell you 'bout a girl I know
I met her walkin' down an uptown street
She's so fine
You know, I wish she was mine
I get shook up everytime we meet

Talking 'bout you
Nobody but you, oh, I do mean you

I'm just tryin' to get a message to you

Let me tell you 'bout a girl I know
You know, now, she looks so good
She's so fine
Y'know, I wish she was mine
She oughta be somewhere in Hollywood

Talking 'bout you
Nobody but you, oh, I do mean you
I'm just tryin' to get a message to you

Let me tell you 'bout a girl I know
You know, now, she looks so fine
She's a honky-tonk queen
She's the love machine
Someday, I'd like to make her mine

Talking 'bout you
Nobody but you, oh I do mean you
I'm just tryin' to get a message to you

Let me tell you 'bout a girl I know
You know now she looks so good
She's so fine
Y'know, I wish she was mine
She oughta be somewhere in Hollywood

Talking 'bout you

Nobody but you, oh I do mean you
I'm just tryin' to get a message to you

Overall Meaning

The song "I'm Talking About You" by Rick Nelson is a classic rock and roll love song. The song is about a girl that the singer met while walking down the uptown street. He is mesmerized by her beauty and wishes she was his. The lyrics describe his feelings for her and his desire to be with her.

The singer continues to praise her beauty and mentions that she looks like she belongs in Hollywood. He calls her a honky-tonk queen and a love machine, indicating that she has a lot of charm and charisma. In the end, he repeats his desire to be with her and sends her a message through the song.

Overall, the song is a beautiful tribute to a beautiful girl who has captured the singer's heart. The lyrics are simple yet powerful, and the melody is catchy and upbeat.

Line by Line Meaning

Let me tell you 'bout a girl I know
I have to tell you about this girl I met

I met her walkin' down an uptown street
I saw her walking along a busy street in the city

She's so fine
She's extremely attractive and captivating

You know, I wish she was mine
I desire to have her as my own

I get shook up everytime we meet
I get nervous or excited whenever we encounter each other

Talking 'bout you
I'm referring to you

Nobody but you, oh, I do mean you
I'm solely talking about you, yes, you

I'm just tryin' to get a message to you
I'm attempting to communicate my feelings to you

You know, now, she looks so good
She looks remarkably stunning

She oughta be somewhere in Hollywood
She should be a famous actress in Hollywood

She's a honky-tonk queen
She's a bouncy and energetic dancer from a Southern bar