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.
My Old Flame
Rick Nelson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can't even think of her name
But it's funny now and then
How my thoughts go flashing back again
To my old flame
My old flame
My new lovers all seem so tame
So magnificent or elegant
As my old flame
I've met so many who had fascinating ways
A fascinating gaze in their eyes
Some who took me up to the sky's
But their attempts at love
Were only imitations of
My old flame
I can't even think of her name
But I'll never be the same
Until I discover what became
Of my old flame
My old flame
I can't even think of her name
But I'll never be the same
Until I discover what became
Of my old flame
My old flame
The lyrics of Rick Nelson's My Old Flame speak of a love that was so deeply ingrained in the singer's soul that he cannot even remember the name of the woman who was his "old flame." However, despite the lapse in memory concerning her name, he is often overtaken by memories of the past and the love they once shared. The singer expresses this sentiment by saying, "But it's funny now and then, how my thoughts go flashing back again, to my old flame." This nostalgic longing for the past is further accentuated when the singer compares his current romantic interests to his old flame, stating that his new lovers seem "so tame" in comparison.
The singer qualifies this statement by saying that the reason for this is that he has not met another woman who is as "magnificent or elegant" as his old flame. In fact, he insinuates that his old flame was the epitome of perfection, rendering all his other experiences with love to be "only imitations of" his old flame. The singer emphasizes his point with the repetition of the chorus and its final lines, "But I'll never be the same until I discover what became of my old flame." This line highlights the fact that the singer is not content to dwell only on the past, but he wants to find out what happened to the love that shaped him into the person he is today.
Line by Line Meaning
My old flame
Referring to a past lover who had a significant impact on the singer's life
I can't even think of her name
The singer has been away from this person for a long time, and they have faded from memory
But it's funny now and then
Despite the distance and time, the thought of this old flame can still elicit a strong emotional response
How my thoughts go flashing back again
Memories of this person and the emotions associated with them come back involuntarily
To my old flame
The singer is referring back to this person they used to know
My new lovers all seem so tame
The singer has had relationships since this old flame, but they have not lived up to the emotional intensity of that earlier relationship
'Cause I haven't met a girl
The singer is still searching for someone to replace this old flame
So magnificent or elegant
The singer holds a high standard and idealizes the old flame's qualities
As my old flame
The ideal partner in the singer's mind is still this old flame
I've met so many who had fascinating ways
The singer has met many interesting and charming people, but they have not been able to fully capture the singer's heart
A fascinating gaze in their eyes
The singer is attracted to the physical appearance and demeanor of these potential partners
Some who took me up to the sky's
Despite the initial attraction, these relationships failed to fulfill the singer's emotional needs or expectations
But their attempts at love
These relationships failed because they could not compare to the intensity and depth of feelings for the old flame
Were only imitations of
The new relationships were mere copies or shadows of the real thing
Until I discover what became
The singer is still searching for information about this old flame and what happened to them
Of my old flame
The singer is referring back to this person they used to know
Contributed by Emily R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@fatimadossantoslima7488
😢❤😢❤🎉🎉 musica lindíssima boa Rick Nelson cantor faz muito sucesso até hoje faz muito sucesso até hoje faz sucesso até hoje faz
@sunryse111
Another excellent choice, Joelle. Well done for keeping Ricky's music alive here on your channel. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐➕👍
@mariadaconceicao8236
Belo Ricki Nelson Amo rock meu pai tambem tem olhoclaroquero ser artista tambem Ana Paula da Rosa❤brasil❤
@marialedermuller5518
Immer Super seine Songs zu hören,Rick bleib Unvergesslich🌹💞
@rickcurtis2983
Wow, my old flame is right! Always loved Lorrie and Larry too! How in the world did you get all the names of ALL these girls...amazing!! Thank you!!
@jlcsn88
@rickcurtis2983 . Thank you very much for your comment. For the names, I search a lot, my books, my magazines, episodes of "Ozzie & Harriet", and a lot on the internet.
@rickcurtis2983
@jlcsn88 Thank you, you did great work! I listen to your channel often!
@capric0rn01
🥰