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.

Give 'Em My Number
Ricky Nelson Lyrics

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I met you at a party, I gave you my number
You called me and we started goin' out
You'd call me every night, you moved into my life
And you called me to say you're movin' out

Now that you won't have any use for it, it'd sure be nice
If somebody walks up to you and they ask you for some advice
Tell 'em if they're lookin' like they need a love in their life, in their life

Give 'em my number

Give 'em my number, tell them I'm waitin' by the phone
Give 'em my number, tell 'em I hate to be alone
Give 'em my number, and say somethin' kind about me baby
You know I'd do the same for you
Give 'em my number, give 'em my number

I don't know a lot of people, I'm a little shy
And seldom have any place to go
I can remember how it was when we were in love
How you used to call and tell me so

Now that you won't have any use for it, it'd sure be nice
If somebody walks up to you and they ask you for a dime
Before you let 'em dial another line
Give 'em my number

Give 'em my number, tell them I'm waitin' by the phone
Give 'em my number, tell 'em I hate to be alone
Give 'em my number, and say somethin' kind about me baby
You know I'd do the same for you
Give 'em my number, give 'em my number

Any hour of the day or night, if you run into somebody
That looks like they'd be my type
Sad or blue, look anything like you
Give 'em my number

Give 'em my number, tell them I'm waitin' by the phone
Give 'em my number, tell 'em I hate to be alone
Give 'em my number, and say somethin' kind about me baby

You know I'd do the same for you
Give 'em my number, give 'em my number [unverified]

Overall Meaning

Ricky Nelson's "Give 'Em My Number" is a song that expresses the feelings of a person who has been left alone after a breakup. The song talks about how the singer met someone at a party and gave them their number. The two people started to date, and the singer got used to getting calls from their partner every night. However, things didn't work out between them, and the singer received a call saying that their partner was moving out of their life. The singer now finds themselves alone and expresses that giving their number to people who are looking for love would be a kindness. The song encourages people to share love and to not let it go to waste by giving out the singer’s phone number.

The song is a sad and reflective piece and shows how much the singer is affected by their situation. They feel alone and want someone to share their life with. The lyrics showcase how the singer wants to help others find love by giving them their number. It's an emotional plea for someone to share their life.

Line by Line Meaning

I met you at a party, I gave you my number
We met at a party and I gave you my phone number

You called me and we started goin' out
You called me and we started dating

You'd call me every night, you moved into my life
You called me every night and became a part of my life

And you called me to say you're movin' out
You called me to say that you're leaving

Now that you won't have any use for it, it'd sure be nice
Since you won't be needing my number anymore, it would be nice if you could help me with a favor

Give 'Em My NumberRicky Nelson Lyrics

Give 'Em My Number
Ricky Nelson Lyrics