Teenage Idol, Travelin' Man: The Complete Biography of Rick Nelson [Paperback]

Philip Bashe (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1993

The complete biography of rock idol Rick Nelson includes details of behind-the-scenes tensions on the set of The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, Rick's brushes with the law, his drug abuse, and his untimely death. National ad/promo.

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

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This affectionate tribute to a superstar undone by his own public image portrays Rick Nelson as a seminal influence on early rock 'n' roll. start sentence here? hard to read as is Bashe ( Heavy Metal Thunder ) contends that the enormous popularity of TV's The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet not only kicked off Ricky Nelson's career but legitimized rock musicto avoid repeating phrase in quote , allowing the young singer to "smuggle rock & roll into America's living rooms." Ozzie Nelson, Rick's bandleader father, whose drive more than compensated for his modest musical skills, is shown to have been the major force in the younger Nelson's life and work. The ups and downs of the singer's career are well chronicled, as is the bitter divorce which left him, at 40, nearly penniless. Economic need and an urge to perform compelled him to tour almost constantly, a lifestyle that led to his death in a plane crash in 1985. Bashe's style and the varied career and influence of his subject place this volume several notches above other recent rock biographies. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

While other rock stars from the 1950s like Jerry Lee Lewis and Chuck Berry were content to perform in rock and roll revival shows, Rick Nelson attempted to change, grow, and transcend his past. Until his death in 1985 he pursued an active touring schedule, presenting new material, often to the dismay of early fans who attended his shows eager to hear him reprise classics like "Be-Bop Baby," "Poor Little Fool," and "Travelin' Man." Although his song "Garden Party" gave his career a boost in the early 1970s, he was never able to put his teenage idol image behind him. Divorce proceedings sapped his energy and attention, his financial resources gradually dwindled, and finally his death in an airplane accident gave rise to questions of drug abuse. Nelson's early career as a member of the famous Nelson family in television's The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet are well documented in the first half of the book. Recommended for popular collections.
- Tim LaBorie, St. Joseph's Univ., Philadelphia
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Hyperion Books (Adult Trd Pap) (May 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 156282886X
• ISBN-13: 978-1562828868
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,017,635 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Rick Nelson gets some respect, September 7, 2000

By 

Ron (Tacoma, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Teenage Idol, Travelin' Man: The Complete Biography of Rick Nelson (Paperback)

I enjoyed this book much more than Joel Selvin's mean-spirited tome. Rick may have had his faults, but let's remember that we all do,and they were overshadowed by his many good qualities. As a singer and musician myself, he is a great example of doing what you believe in and sticking to it. Bashe emphasises this throughout the book (i.e. Rick turning down an offer of $1,000,000 to do a "balloons and feathers" type show in Vegas in the late 70's). From time to time there are hints of scandal and bad behaviour, but overall, it is a much more fair portrayal of Rick than Selvin gave us.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I was impressed by how it was written., September 2, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Teenage Idol, Travelin' Man: The Complete Biography of Rick Nelson (Hardcover)

The book did a good job of telling what all went on behind the scenes without sensationalizing some of the mistakes that Rick made, and the author managed to write the book without it looking like a wordy tabloid article, although Philip Bashe may as well have gone ahead and told us the real name of the teenage hooker Rick had an affair with because an author of a different biography on Rick Nelson did.

I also thought Bashe did a good job of telling both sides of the divorce between Rick and Kris without it seeming as if he were taking sides, or trying to put one or the other person in a bad light.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A kinder, more gentle look at one of Rock & Rolls greatest!, March 29, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Teenage Idol, Travelin' Man: The Complete Biography of Rick Nelson (Paperback)

Bashe captures the true picture of a gentle, kind rock & roller who was only too human! Far too many people did not want Rick to "grow up" nor really be human. But grow up he did! Rock & roll was Rick's life and he kept on rockin' up until the very end! Life was not too kind to Rick during his last ten years of life, but this did not stop him from still doing what he was meant to do - sing and perform his best at all his performances!