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.

If You Believe It
Ricky Nelson Lyrics

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If you believe it, you really believe it
The Lord will smile upon you
If you believe it, really believe it
The Lord will smile upon you

You know he loves you, he really loves you
And he'll reward you with his blessings
If you believe it, really believe it

The Lord will smile upon you

Life can be just what you make it
The answer is all in your heart
So just let the Lord know you love him
Then he'll do his part

If you believe it, you really believe it
The Lord will smile upon you
If you believe it, really believe it
The Lord will smile upon you

Life can be just what you make it
The answer is all in your heart
So just let the Lord know you love him
Then he'll do his part

If you believe it, you really believe it
The Lord will smile upon you
If you believe it, really believe it

The Lord will smile upon you
The Lord will smile upon you

Overall Meaning

The song "If You Believe It" by Ricky Nelson is a gospel-style song that encourages belief in God and the power of positive thinking. The song asserts that if you truly believe in God's love and blessings, and if you let him know that you love him, then he will reward you with his blessings and smile upon you. The lyrics emphasize the importance of personal agency in creating a positive life, with lines like "Life can be just what you make it" and "The answer is all in your heart." Overall, the song is a message of hope and faith, urging listeners to stay positive and trust in God's goodness.

The lyrics of "If You Believe It" reflect the religious values that were popular in 1960s America, a time of great social change and upheaval. Many people turned to religious faith and spirituality as a way to find stability and meaning amid the turbulent times. The song's emphasis on positive thinking and personal agency also reflects the growing popularity of self-help books and programs in the 1960s.

Line by Line Meaning

If you believe it, you really believe it
Only if you earnestly have faith

The Lord will smile upon you
God will look favorably upon you

If you believe it, really believe it
Only if you wholeheartedly have faith

The Lord will smile upon you
God will look favorably upon you

You know he loves you, he really loves you
God's love for you is genuine and real

And he'll reward you with his blessings
God will bless you with gifts

If you believe it, really believe it
Only if you genuinely wholeheartedly have faith

The Lord will smile upon you
God will look favorably upon you

Life can be just what you make it
Your life can be shaped by your thoughts and beliefs

The answer is all in your heart
The solution lies within your own feelings and beliefs

So just let the Lord know you love him
Express your love for God