America and the rest of the world are well acquainted with the recent success of The Jonas Brothers who have favorite son(s) status in neighboring Wyckoff. However, most of their fans, and most of their parents, were not even born when another Bergen County native blazed a pop music trail which coined the term “teen idol”. This was back in December of 1958 when Life Magazine ran a cover story on music sensation Ricky Nelson, born 1940 in Teaneck to big band leader Ozzie Nelson and his wife Harriet.
It is the 1958 Life Magazine article which many attribute to creating the term, “teen idol”. Young people certainly had their favorite musicians and singers before then, but once a label is created, it becomes a title for future generations of performers. Before starting out on a musical career, Ricky had already gained fame as part of the first “reality TV show” with The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. For those readers interested in the reality of days gone by, you can see some episodes online at Tv4U.com.
Ricky’s musical career was allegedly inspired by the popularity of Elvis Presley who was gaining the attention of an enormous female fan based. As a teenage boy, Ricky believed he might benefit from exhibiting his musical skills, and arranged with his father to record the Fat’s Domino hit I’m Walkin’. He performed the song on the TV show in 1957 and became a musical sensation almost overnight. He also managed to take the image of Rock n’ Roll from one of rebel, greaser, and delinquent and turn it into pure Americana. Movie offers soon followed, and Ricky’s first role was opposite another American icon, John Wayne. Ricky played Colorado Kid in 1958 portraying a young sharp shooter who helps The Duke in his derring good deeds. Inspired by Elvis, Ricky would be second only to him as the most popular rock and roll artist of the 1950s an 60s.
Success at a young age brings special challenges on a personal level, on a business level, and on a creative level. Ricky Nelson embraced his own growth and the changing forces in American culture and became one of the pioneers of Country Rock. His albums in this genre were critically acclaimed, but did not reach the commercial success of his previous albums. Rick learned of the fickle nature of audiences who want only the familiar and are quick to express displeasure if someone varies from their routine. During a concert in 1971 at Madison Square Garden, after playing some of his old hits, Rick began playing his version of the Rolling Stones Honky Tonk Woman and was booed by the crowd. Some say the crowd was booing police who were moving folks back from the stage, but Rick obviously felt it was directed at him and responded in a song released the following year, Garden Party.
Like everyone, Ricky Nelson dealt with the realities of life, love and temptation, and he managed to survive in show business for over 35 years before his tragic death in a plane crash at the age of 45. His twin sons would carry on the family tradition and attain their own number one hit, making The Nelsons the only family with three generations each recording a hit single. Rolling Stone Magazine lists him in the top 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.
Below we offer a couple of videos that further explore the sensation of America’s first teen idol. The first examines the history and explains the lyrics to the hit Garden Party when Ricky was a grown man, and the other recording displays his amazing talent as a young man. Also, be sure to check out Tv4U.com for episodes of the 1950s television series.