Ricky Nelson: Idol for a Generation [Paperback]

Joel Selvin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1991

Of the top '50s rock-n-roll stars, only Elvis Presley could boast a name and face better known than Ricky Nelson's. The star of TV's top-rated "Ozzie and Harriet", Nelson burst into stardom as one of TV's first child actors. His death in an airplane crash shattered America's dreams.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 345 pages
• Publisher: Contemporary Books (March 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0809239906
• ISBN-13: 978-0809239900
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,828,049 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Eye-opening view of an extremely talented, yet troubled man, May 8, 1999

By 

Carol Coulbourne (Millsboro, Delaware USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ricky Nelson: Idol for a Generation (Paperback)

When I bought this book, they had only one in the store and it was not on the shelf yet. I believe I may have been fortunate enough to get the one they had for their own perusal. In any case, I found the book to be one of the most absorbing stories I can ever recall reading Yes, I was a real fan of Rick Nelson, especially in later years, so my opinion of the book may be prejudiced..I recall seeing him in a coffee house in Bryn Mawr, PA in 1972,I believe it was, and was saddened to see that the show of attendance was very sparce. There were no tickets to be purchased in advance, and I attended two nights in a row with no problem of getting in. It saddened me, however, I was priviledged to be in a small room while he sang with the Stone Canyon Band, and found it to be a stunning performance. The book was very easy to read text-wise, but very difficult to read content-wise. His hermit-like lifestyle after his divorce broke my heart. What a sad existance, preceding a disastrous ending to what almost was and could have been a "story-book life".

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rick Nelson was a Rock 'n Roll icon!, May 29, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Ricky Nelson: Idol for a Generation (Paperback)

Rick Nelson knew by the age of 16 what he wanted to do with the rest of his life! He wanted to be a Rock n' Roll singer! Yes, Rick had very famous parents and did not come from 'proverty'. But Rick worked very hard to achieve and keep his success, regardless of his parents' position in the entertainment world! And he kept on working until his tragic death at age 45 in a plane crash on 12/31/85. Rick had it no better than anyone else in life, nor did he have it any worse. He had his good qualities and he had his bad qualities. After all, Rick Nelson was a human being. Somehow, I think Americans had really bought into the idea that the "Nelsons" they saw on tv every week were really the way they appeared on tv. Or did we only NEED to believe that a family could be so perfect? No person, let alone a family, could be that perfect! It was all make-believe! Somehow, the author, Joel Selvin, while reporting/writing accuratly about the human Rick Nelson, does seem to write about Rick's life in a very negative, hurting way. It's alright to write about a person's fallicies, all human beings have them, but there is never a good reason to simply tear a person apart, just to be tearing a person apart!

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From sit-com sub-plot to rock and roll idol, August 16, 2002

By 

"crazycjh" (Cookstown, NJ United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ricky Nelson: Idol for a Generation (Hardcover)

Singing Fats Domino's "I'M WALKIN'" as part of his parents' sit-com (OZZIE & HARRIET SHOW), it probably seemed that this was just a ratings gimmick in response to the current "fad" of rock & roll.
Although that particular performance is less than inspiring (and an insult to Fats Antoine Domino), Ricky soon found his voice and with major assistance from guitarist Jim Burton and good material from the Burnette brothers, Gene Pitney and others, Ricky (later "maturing" to just RICK) left an indelible stamp on the roots of rock & roll, and even managed a hit with a personal social comment ("GARDEN PARTY").
Along with Elvis, Little Richard, and the aforementioned Fats, Rick Nelson is a vital component of the roots of the music that turned out to be a "bit" more than just a "fad".
Put "POOR LITTLE FOOL", "NEVER BE ANYONE ELSE BUT YOU" or "HELLO MARY LOU" on your CD player (or even better, on your turntable!!) and read about Ozzie's boy.
A good solid read..