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.

Bright Lights And Country Music
Ricky Nelson Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I won't stay home and cry tonight like all the nights before
I've just learned that I don't really need you anymore
I found a little place downtown where guys like me can go
And they've got bright lights and country music
Bright lights and country music a bottle and a glass
Soon I'll be forgetting that there ever was a past
And when everybody asks me what helped me forget so fast
I'll say those bright lights and country music

A table by the bandstand a bottle filled with wine
Honky tonks were made for men with women on their minds
And nothing else can take away this loneliness of mine
Quite like those bright lights and country music

Bright lights and country music...
I love those bright lights and country music

Overall Meaning

Ricky Nelson's song "Bright Lights and Country Music" tells the story of a man who has finally learned to move on after a failed relationship. He realizes that he doesn't need his ex-partner anymore and decides to go out to a little place downtown where he has a chance to forget his past and just have fun. The bright lights and country music help him to forget all the loneliness and pain he felt before. The singer of the song is seeking refuge from his loneliness and heartbreak, and he knows that the honky tonks are the perfect place for him. He is in search of distractions that will help him forget quickly.

When everybody asks him what helped him move on so fast, he tells them that it is the bright lights and country music that did it. This highlights the power of music and the ability of country music to provide solace and comfort when people are going through a difficult time. The song's upbeat melody and catchy chorus create a feeling of optimism and hope, even in the midst of heartbreak.

Overall, "Bright Lights and Country Music" is a song about finding comfort and healing through music. The singer learns that he can move on from his heartbreak by surrounding himself with the joy and energy of honky tonk bars and country music.

Line by Line Meaning

I won't stay home and cry tonight like all the nights before
I am no longer going to stay home and cry over you like I have done so many nights before.

I've just learned that I don't really need you anymore
I have come to the realization that I do not need you.

I found a little place downtown where guys like me can go
I discovered a small place downtown where people like me can go.

And they've got bright lights and country music
The place I found has bright lights and they play country music.

Bright lights and country music a bottle and a glass
There are bright lights and country music and I drink from a bottle and a glass.

Soon I'll be forgetting that there ever was a past
In no time, I will forget that there was ever a past.

And when everybody asks me what helped me forget so fast
When people ask me how I forgot so quickly,

I'll say those bright lights and country music
I will tell them that it was the bright lights and country music that helped me forget.

A table by the bandstand a bottle filled with wine
I am sitting at a table near the bandstand with a bottle of wine.

Honky tonks were made for men with women on their minds
Honky-tonks were created for men who are thinking about women.

And nothing else can take away this loneliness of mine
Nothing else can take away my loneliness like this place can.

Quite like those bright lights and country music
Specifically, it is the bright lights and country music that helps me forget my troubles.

Bright lights and country music...
Once again, the bright lights and country music draw me in.

I love those bright lights and country music
Overall, I have a fondness for the bright lights and country music that this place offers.

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group, CARLIN AMERICA INC
Written by: BILL ANDERSON, JIMMY GATELEY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS

Genre not found

Artist not found

Album not found

Search results not found

Song not found

Comments from YouTube:

Nina Garcia

14y↑7

Ricky's voice is really good on country songs specially this one.

barrygioportmorien1

15y↑10

I had the double vinyl album that Ricky did, I gave it away after I copied all the songs (to Cassette) in those days, I now have them in my digital files, they are all great songs. and yes, why has it not come out on CD?. He was one of the best Rock n' Rollers and sang Country as well as anyone.