MUSEUM OF TELEVISION & RADIO SEMINAR SERIES, THE: RICK NELSON: IT'S ALL RIGHT NOW {REMEMBERING RICKY NELSON} {LONG VERSION} {NY}
Summary
One in a series of seminars presented in New York by The Paley Center for Media (known at the time as The Museum of Television & Radio). This seminar celebrates the life and work of singer and actor Rick Nelson, as explored in the television documentary film "Rick Nelson: It's All Right Now" (1978). Host Ron Simon (curator, The Paley Center for Media/New York) offers opening remarks and introduces Rick's twin sons Matthew and Gunnar Nelson, also known as the band Nelson, and they perform the songs "Travelin' Man" and "Hello Mary Lou." Matthew then discusses his father's experience as a young actor on "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet," how his grandparents received hate mail after Rick performed "the devil's music," and Rick's experience being booed at a 1971 Madison Square Garden concert, which led to the writing of his 1972 hit song "Garden Party," which the twins then perform.
The documentary is then screened in its entirety (for synopsis and credits, see B:87398.)
After the film, Simon and the brothers touch on such topics as: their 2000 album "Like Father Like Sons," a tribute to their father's music; their decision to "blaze their own trail" with six albums of original music first; their 1986 appearance on "Saturday Night Live" shortly after their father's death and before being officially signed to a label; their first experience playing their father's music at a concert in Japan; their sense of being "oblivious" to Rick's childhood career while growing up; complications with the syndication of "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet" and the restoration of Rick's end-of-episode musical performances on the DVDs; producer/director Taylor Hackford's cross-country drive to make the film; Rick's candid comments in the film about his imperfections as a father and frequent absence from home; his 1979 appearance on "Saturday Night Live" as host as his "third comeback"; his strong work ethic and love for both music and people; his 1985 death in a plane crash while on his way to a concert; his unusual refusal to allow his sons to accompany him that night and possible premonition of danger; the brothers' creation of a special box set of Rick's music and DVD of his performances; their joy at discovering his earliest records well preserved in a storage unit; Gunnar's role as the "family archivist"; and their interviews along with their siblings Sam and Tracy for a PBS special.
Questions from the audience then lead to a discussion of the following topics among others: plans for a four-hour miniseries about Rick's career and their debate about whether to colorize and update the footage; their work with Dick Clark after Rick's death, despite his never having performed on "American Bandstand," and tribute performance at the American Music Awards; the allegations about Rick's drug use having caused the plane crash and the truth regarding the plane's malfunction; Ozzie Nelson's "A-type personality" and efficient management of both the TV show and the family; his ideas for "the first conceptual rock video" for Rick's song "I'm Walkin'"; the brothers' discovery of a letter from the network threatening to cancel "Ozzie and Harriet" if Rick left to go on tour; the sense that "the world had moved on" from the show's wholesome tone by its cancellation in 1966; the ongoing discussion about the infamous Madison Square Garden performance and Rick's sense of being "misunderstood"; his unprecedented twenty-year record deal with RCA, as arranged by Ozzie; and the surprise success of "Garden Party" late in his career.
Details
- NETWORK: Paley
- DATE: January 24, 2006 6:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:42:33
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:88612
- GENRE: Seminars
- SUBJECT HEADING: N/A
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Ron Simon … Host
- Gunnar Nelson … Performer, Panelist
- Matthew Nelson … Performer, Panelist
- Dick Clark
- Rick Nelson (See also: Ricky Nelson)
- Oswald "Ozzie" Nelson
- Sam Nelson
- Tracy Nelson