‘Ricky Nelson Remembered’ comes to Schaumburg
It’s been 25 years since Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member and 1950s teen idol Ricky Nelson died in a plane crash. Now, his identical twin sons, multiplatinum recording artists Gunnar and Matthew Nelson, 43, are touring the country with their production of “Ricky Nelson Remembered,” a multimedia program featuring music, video footage and interviews with Nelson’s friends, including Paul McCartney.
In a recent telephone interview, Gunnar Nelson spoke about the upcoming Saturday, Feb. 12, production of “Ricky Nelson Remembered” at the Schaumburg Prairie Center for the Arts.
He also recalled growing up in the Nelson household, not only with a famous father, but with famous grandparents, Ozzie and Harriet Nelson of “The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet” radio and television programs from the 1940s and ’50s.
Q. Tell me about the “Ricky Nelson Remembered” production.
A. It’s a cross between a high-energy rock concert and an A&E Biography episode. We’ve put together a two-hour show that brings together music and videos over a time line — and the chronology gives a glimpse into our dad’s life and times and America in general — how our dad’s music and “The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet” mirrored the changes that everyone in America was going through.
Q. Do you and Matthew perform some of your father’s greatest hits in the show?
A. Oh, yes, our portion of the show is the high energy rock concert. We get the audience singing along with us on my dad’s classic songs like “Hello Mary Lou” “Garden Party,” “Travelin’ Man” and “Teenage Idol.”
Q. Can audience members ask you and Matthew questions about your father or about yourselves during the show?
A. After the show, we’ll stay for hours and talk. The audience can ask us questions then.
Q. You were 18 when your father died. What do remember most about him?
A. Our dad was the epitome of cool. What made him cool were his love of music and his effortless delivery. We were best friends with our dad. We always bonded on music. Dad loved the fact that Matthew and I were performing from the time we were 6, and we were very serious about it. I remember those great late-night talks in the kitchen with Dad, and how they always seemed to be about music. He was really proud of us following in his footsteps.
Q. Your grandfather Ozzie Nelson was a bandleader in the 1930s, and your grandmother Harriet was a singer. Then of course they became famous with “The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet” on radio and TV. Your father and his brother David (who died in January) also starred on the radio and TV series. What was it like following in this path?
A. It was all relative to us — all very normal. It was a family business. We are entertainers. That’s what we’ve done for the last 100 years.
Q. Do you remember your grandparents well? Your grandfather Ozzie died when you were quite young, back in 1975.
A. Oz was really a sweet guy. I was too young to have many memories with Oz, except for maybe holidays. But the love was definitely there. Harriet was a different story — she was our best buddy, our biggest supporter. She loved our (Gunnar and Matthew’s) long hair — the showbiz element. She was a very hip lady. She said, “You are a Nelson. Your ancestors were Vikings,” when we had our long hair.
Q. Your father would have been 70 years old now. What do you feel his legacy is in the music world?
A. Rock and roll owes Ricky Nelson a huge debt of gratitude. All of the music we have in our iPods today — it all goes back to Ricky Nelson getting rock and roll into American living rooms at a crucial point in American history. Elvis (Presley) turned off a lot of parents — Ricky didn’t. Pat Boone turned off a lot of kids — Ricky didn’t. Rock and roll needed Ricky Nelson. He was the right man for the job.
Q. You and Matthew, as the band Nelson, will be releasing your new rock CD “Lightning Strikes Twice” on Feb. 15, here in the United States. What are some other upcoming projects?
A. We are in talks with a major Las Vegas casino about taking the “Ricky Nelson Remembered” show and putting a residency in place in Vegas.
Q. How do you think your father would feel about “Ricky Nelson Remembered?”
A. Dad was a modest gentleman when he was alive. Now Matthew and I get to “speak the gospel” of Rick Nelson, so to speak. Dad was always very supportive. And he is there with us — we feel him in the room.
If you go
What: Rick Nelson Remembered
When: 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 12
Where: Schaumburg Prairie Center for the Arts at 201 Schaumburg St., Schaumburg
Tickets: Call Prairie Center for ticket prices and information, If show is sold out, a waiting list will be available for tickets due to cancellations. For information, call (847) 895-3600, or visit prairiecenter.org.