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.

Doll Hospital
Ricky Nelson Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Well, lots of little pieces make up the little girl
Such a tiny thing in this great big world
Well, now I've got to find out what's crackin' up
My little buttercup
I got to take her to the doll hospital

Well I bought her a dollhouse and a Corvette too
She's got everything's Barbie's got, I'm tellin' you

But every time I make a move just to touch her hair
She says, "Little boys should play with teddy bears"
I'm gonna take her to the doll hospital

(Chorus)
Uh-huh, oh yeah
Baby you'll be all right
I'm gonna take you
To the doll hospital tonight
Uh-huh, oh yeah
Baby you look a fright
I'm gonna take you to the doll hospital

Well, all in love is fair
But it's the wear and tear
And words left unspoken
That leave hearts broken
But I never tore your legs off
Or threw you on the floor
Now I know baby cries a lot
But please don't cry no more

When we played doctor I must have made a mess
But I fixed her little wagon up good, I guess
She said Ken never made her heart beat so
But he lacked that certain somethin' as we all know
Now I burst her little bubble, her mind's about to go
I gotta get her to the doll hospital

(Chorus)
Uh-huh, oh yeah
Baby you'll be all right
I'm gonna take you
To the doll hospital tonight
Uh-huh, oh yeah

Baby you look a fright
I'm gonna take you to the doll hospital

Overall Meaning

In the song "Doll Hospital" by Ricky Nelson, the lyrics tell the story of a man who has bought his girlfriend an array of Barbie dolls, a dollhouse, and even a Corvette, but she is unhappy and needs fixing. Her mind is about to go as he has burst her little bubble. The man concludes that he must take her to the doll hospital, to fix her and make her right again. He is worried about her, telling her that she'll be all right and that she looks a fright. He doesn't know what has caused her troubles, but he wants to help her and he will take her to the doll hospital.

The lyrics of "Doll Hospital" can be interpreted as a metaphor for relationships. Just as the little girl's mind in the song is about to go, relationships can deteriorate and become damaged over time, requiring the help of professionals to heal. The man's concern for his girlfriend in the song reflects the compassion that people can have towards their significant others, and the lengths they are willing to go to see them happy and healthy.

Doll HospitalRicky Nelson Lyrics

Doll Hospital
Ricky Nelson Lyrics