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

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. (May)