Elvis - A Lighted Candle

[73smile]

I was listening to Garden Party today. That is the song that Rick Nelson wrote after he was booed at Madison Square Garden because even though he was singing songs that made him famous, the people did not like how he looked. It was a concert of "oldies" being sung by the original artists.
This happened in 1972. Nelson wrote the song that same night and it became a number 1 hit.
I have read that Rick Nelson became a singer when his dates were paying more attention to Elvis than to him. I also have read that Nelson and Elvis were friends. Elvis played the Garden the same year and because he counted Rick Nelson as a friend I wonder if Elvis sent a note or called Nelson about the debacle at the "oldies" concert??
Anyone know???

[Rainbow Light]

Please can anyone help with this information regarding Ricky Nelson?

Will leave this open for comments/replies and so on ......

[Rebecca]

Rick Nelson was one of the lucky ones. In the height of Elvis' fame, Nelson looked like Elvis. There were a bunch of people who became famous because they looked like Elvis. Tommy Sands, (whom Nancy Sinatra married), Rick Nelson, Fabian,( who couldn't sing or anything, alll he did was look like Elvis. And after Elvis made Hound Dog famous, Fabian attempted to sing, and made a record called Hound Dog Man. He also made a movie where he wore the same clothes that Elvis wore in Love Me Tender).
Then there were a number of Elvis imitators when Elvis was alive. PJ Proby and some others that I can't remember now.

There were also a number of singers who made it because the Elvis sound was in and they were lucky enough to sound like Elvis at the time.

Conwy Twitty, Roy Orbison, were two very talented singers who may not have hit it as big as they did, but they sounded like Elvis at the time, and that sound was in.

I am not taking anything away from these people. Most of them were very talented.

Ricky Nelson first became as big as he was, I think, because he looked llike Elvis. But he had some measure of fame anyway, because his family had a television show, I can't remember the name of it now, but it was just about the Nelson family. And Ricky made some very beautiful music of his own.

[Wanda June Hill]

Hi Rebeca, I grew up with no television in our home and no radio listening except if it looked like bad weather-tornado's you know. Anyway, I was hooked on Rick Nelson and with a girl friend went to Rio Bravo movie just to see him in the film where he played a young cowboy who was a fast draw-he played the role great, and we sat through another movie that I don't even remember now, twice, just to see Ricky walk on screen and hear and see him play and sing-of course John Wayne, Angie Dickinson and Dean Martin were in it also and it's still one of my favorite movies. But it wasn't Elvis for me, it was Ricky Nelson! He was "it" in my late teen years. I told Elvis that (he said the first time we spoke on the phone but I can't remember saying it then-or much else) and he laughed, teased me about it and then said, "good choice"-he liked Rick and loved his band (James Burton came from it) and he liked and knew lots of Ricks songs. He also played some touch football with Rick and his brother at the park in Bev. Hills way back there in the early movie days. It is amazing what Elvis did for American economy as well, his records brought money and new business in the industry, his guitar playing and using sold lots of them, his movies kept the film industry in business and the side line businesses as well, were called the "only sure thing in Hollywood" for several years when things were tough. He sold clothes, jewerly and cars-and he sure sold a lot of make up etc: due to so many females wanting him to notice. And he made Las Vegas swing when it was about to die-he still draws a crowd and still sells things. And he wasn't anything special to hear him tell it-he just came along when there was "no trend" and happened to have a nevrous twitch in his leg when he sang. Yeah-right. wjh

[Rainbow Light]

Yes I think Ricky Nelson was good too and thought I remembered reading James Burton had played for Ricky too at some stage also Emmylou Harris the country singer too for a while I think. So thanks for clarifying on that point, Wanda!