Reflections on Ricky Nelson’s Tragic End

Gunnar and Matthew Nelson still ponder whether their father, the former teen idol Ricky Nelson, might have had a premonition before his untimely passing.

On New Year’s Eve in 1985, Ricky died in a plane crash in DeKalb, Texas, at the age of 45. Six others lost their lives in the accident.

As they mark the 40th anniversary of their father’s death, the twins are sharing their thoughts about this tragedy and their own journey to fame in a new memoir titled “What Happened to Your Hair?”

Matthew discovered his father’s death through a radio announcement, while Gunnar learned about it from television. “I usually would have told my family first,” Gunnar said, reflecting on the awkwardness of the moment.

At just 18, they faced an unimaginable loss. They had recently celebrated Christmas together and were enjoying a break from show business. But that holiday season took a different turn.

Gunnar recalled that Ricky wasn’t particularly eager to leave for his New Year’s Eve performance; he merely needed to pay off legal fees. “He wanted to spend more time with us,” Gunnar added, noting that the Nelson family traditionally took a break during that time.

The memoir reveals that Ricky’s marriage was faltering, leading to a costly and turbulent divorce from their mother, actress Kristin Nelson.

Despite the turmoil, Ricky aimed to reunite with his sons. He suggested meeting them in Alabama and taking a DC-3—an aircraft previously owned by Jerry Lee Lewis—to Dallas for the performance. The twins were thrilled at the prospect of flying with their father.

Gunnar described the plane as a classic World War II-era model that Ricky bought because of his fear of flying. “It flew so slowly that even if both engines failed, it could glide,” he explained.

On the night before the flight to Alabama, however, Ricky received a rather unsettling call from his chief pilot.

“His tone was different,” Gunnar noted. “He firmly told us he didn’t want us on the plane and suggested we take a commercial flight instead.” The twins were disappointed, as they had planned to share this experience with him for the first time.

That phone call turned out to be their last interaction with their father.

“It ultimately saved our lives,” Gunnar remarked, hinting at possible mechanical issues with the aircraft that may have prompted Ricky’s decision. He speculated, “Maybe he had a feeling something wasn’t right.” Even years later, the twins ponder the intuition their father might have had.

The book also outlines the official report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which identified a fuel line leak as the cause of the onboard fire that led to the crash.

The Nelson twins still face harsh questions from fans regarding rumors that their father used drugs, which they firmly refute, emphasizing that such claims contradict the NTSB findings and only add to their family’s pain.

Matthew shared his frustration over how the media misrepresented Ricky’s reputation following his passing. “It was like watching a major news story about drug use, knowing it wasn’t true,” he expressed.

After Ricky’s death, the twins faced the daunting task of settling his debts, totaling around $4 million—an incredibly challenging burden they took on over the next decade.

Throughout their journey, they’ve learned that their father’s true legacy goes beyond financial matters. “His real happiness was in making others happy,” Matthew concluded. “In the end, it’s about what legacy we leave behind.”