Rick Nelson Discussion Thread

garden party

This is a quote from, "Garden Party". Sometimes philosophical gems come from strange places.

At a concert at Madison Square Garden, Nelson misinterpreted a commotion in the audience as booing and still believed it when he wrote "Garden Party."

Rick Nelson was a manufactured star if ever there was one. He was a nice looking kid with a not half bad voice, but Ozzie made him a star because he wanted an Elvis impersonator for his tv show and his son fit the bill.

The fact that he continused to tour, and I'll admit Garden Party was a cool song and he wrote it, was a testament to his tenacity, but this was no great talent.

If his dad had run an auto body shop, he would have been Rick Regular who maybe played in a cover band on the weekends.

Having said that, I'm supportive of anyone who gets a shot in the business, no matter how they get it or what they do with it. He had more success with his career than I've had, and he got to die before his hair started thinning. That's gold right there baby.

I have always like his music very much, since I first heard it at the age of about 10, and at least one younger person I introduced to him, a girl in her 20s, is now a fan. You can chalk it up to hype, if you want, but the first time he performed as a musician on TV, on an episode of "Ozzie and Harriet," ABC received more mail than they have before or since about a single episode of a series. This first hit, in 1957, a cover of Fats Domino's "I'm Walkin'," went to #4 and sold a million records after Nelson performed it on TV. He had about a dozen other hits. Perhaps it's a matter of taste.

I agree with BVT Rick Nelson was ...ok. He did not burn up the track as far as I was concerned and the fact that his father could get him TV shots as a teenage was for me a minus not a plus at the time.

There's something about the slip-slide in his voice that I've always liked. I've never been a fan of his musical choices, but his voice works for me.

, live fast, die young, leave a good lookin' corpse everytime

burn the candle at both ends and get twice the light in half the time.

Dan Bern - Too Late to Die Young

The day the Elvis died was like a mercy killing
America breathed a sigh of relief
We knew all about the drugs and the Vegas shows
And there wasn't much of anything that looked like grief

And I guess he shoulda done like James Dean did
'Stead of putting on weight and sinking down, down, down
Easier to take if he had just skidded straight
To souvenir city and T-shirt town

And sometimes I wish I was smarter that I am
But I'm on my 3rd city
And I'm on my 4th car
And I'm on my 5th apartment
And so many of my days have sprung

And now it's too late to crash
Too late to burn
Too late to die young

If Pete Rose had exploded like Roberto Clemente
He'd be hanging in the Hall of Fame without fail
Can you name the last good film Marlon Brando made
While trying to keep his kid from going to jail
And the old people in the street are telling you
"Don't become like me" but
Every day you creep a little bit closer

And I guess we shoulda done like James Dean did
'Stead of putting on weight and sinking down, down, down
Easier to take if we'd have had just skidded straight
To souvenir city and T-shirt town

And sometimes I wish I was smarter that I am
But I'm on my 3rd city
And I'm on my 4th car
And I'm on my 5th apartment
And so many of my days have sprung

And now it's too late to crash
Too late to burn
Too late to die
Now its too late to crash
Too late to burn
Too late to die young

He was, indeed, gorgeous. Always. From the time he was a child.

Oooooooo, that's not what I remember. never mind.

I was a fan of Ozzie and Harriet, beginning with the radio days. I saw nothing wrong with letting Rick get a shot at stardom on the show. I sort of liked a few of his records, and like Garden Party very much. I believe he would still be touring if alive today.

Don't know who the other guy is but Ricky is hot here.

I have not heard that expression in EONS. Takes me back!

Rick Nelson did Fools Rush In? UhOh!