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.
You Are My Sunshine
Rick Nelson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
my only sunshine
you make me happy
when the skies are grey
you'll never know dear
how much I love you
so please dont take
my sunshine
the other night dear
as I lay sleeping
I dreamed I held you in my arms
when I awoke dear
I was mistaken
and I held
my head
and cried
you are my sunshine
my only sunshine
you make me happy
when the skies are grey
you'll never know dear
how much I love you
please dont take
my sunshine
away
you are my sunshine
my only sunshine
you make me happy
when the skies are grey
you'll never know dear
how much I love you
please dont take
my sunshine
away
please dont take my sunshine away x5
Rick Nelson's rendition of the classic song "You Are My Sunshine" is a touching love ballad filled with expressions of love and a plea to not take the sunshine away. The song is sung from the perspective of someone in love who is telling their partner how much they mean to them. The lyrics highlight the happiness the partner brings when things get tough and how much they love them. This person also admits to dreaming about holding their partner close, only to awaken and realize it was just a dream. The song ends on a note of desperation with the person begging their partner to not take their sunshine away.
The song's underlying message is about the fear of losing someone you love. The sun is often seen as a symbol of warmth, affection, and happiness, and the lyrics use it as a metaphor for the love the person feels for their partner. The repetition of the plea at the end of the song reinforces the fear the person has of losing their love.
Overall, the song captures the longing, vulnerability, and raw emotions that come with being in love with someone. Its simple melody and straightforward lyrics make it easy to sing along to, and it has become a timeless classic that remains popular even to this day.
Line by Line Meaning
you are my sunshine
You bring warmth and light into my life, much like the sun does.
my only sunshine
You are the only one who can brighten up my life and make me feel complete.
you make me happy
Your presence alone is enough to put a smile on my face and bring me joy.
when the skies are grey
Even when things seem gloomy and bleak, you have the ability to bring light and happiness into my life.
you'll never know dear
I may not say it often, but my love for you runs deep and vast, and words cannot fully express it.
how much I love you
My love for you is immeasurable in magnitude and depth, and it only continues to grow stronger.
so please dont take
I beg of you not to take away the radiant light and warmth that you bring into my life.
my sunshine
Without you, my life would be dull and dreary, much like a life without sunshine.
the other night dear
On a recent night, as I lay sleeping and dreaming...
as I lay sleeping
As I was in a state of deep slumber...
I dreamed I held you in my arms
In my dream, I was able to embrace you and hold you close to me.
when I awoke dear
However, upon waking up from my dream...
I was mistaken
I realized that it was all just a dream and not reality.
and I held
I clutched onto...
my head
My own head, in disbelief and sadness.
and cried
I shed tears at the loss of the warmth and comfort I had felt in my dream.
Contributed by Mila I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
juha vesanen
A warm hearted song sung this time beautifully and pretty rocking by Ricky Nelson...! 🕵🏼♀️🎶❤️🙂👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿
Cristian Elvis
Easily the beat version, I remember when my grandmother sang this to me, 😢 RIP Grandma miss you 🙏
Rhonda Boncutter
It was just at the right level, not too high! Sing this to my granddaughter!
Brenda Sims
i love this song very very much
Rudi Schlosser
Da kommen Erinnerungen hoch... Einmalig diese Art von Musik und speziell dieser Song. Mir läuft beim Anhören jedes Mal wieder die Gänsehaut auf, aber das Rad der Zeit lässt sich nicht zurückdrehen!
Ruth Irvine
Fantastic ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Borislav Bora
Rick was the best singer on the world
juhani hartikka
i like, very good!
Borislav Bora
Rick was the best of all
Borislav Bora
My sunshine is not alive . I always remember her