These Twins Were Just 18 When Their Star Dad Crashed in Plane – His Last-Minute Cancelation Saved Them

Arguably the most televised pop star of his time, he stole many hearts with his music. For years, he was the teen idol, but to his more sentimental fans, he was the man whose last-minute decision saved his sons' lives.

One of the most popular teen idols of the late '50s and early '60s, he was born in New Jersey, on May 8, 1940. His parents were also from the entertainment industry, with their own television show which he and his older brother joined later on. The show ran for 16 consecutive years, a record in the history of TV sitcoms.

He attended Gardner Street Public School, then went to Bancroft Junior High before joining Hollywood High School. Despite his father's insistence that he get a college education, he hated school.

By the time he came of college-going age, he was already making some good bucks, earning up to $100,000 a year. Thus, he did not see the need to attend school.

At 17, he recorded his first single, "I'm Walking," after making his TV debut, singing and playing the drums to the same song on the "The Drummer" episode of the family show. The song became No. 4 on Billboard's Best Sellers.

He was just getting started, and in the years that followed, he released more hit music. His music included "Garden Party," "It's Late," "Fools Rush In," "For You," "Poor Little Fool," and "Travelin' Man," among many other hits.

Before recording them as singles, he first introduced most of his songs to the audiences of his parents' show.

Marriage and Children

The Christmas festive season of 1961 was a special time for the artist. He had begun dating years back, but his mother greatly disapproved of all his love interests.

This time he was dating a familiar face to his parents. The two had plenty in common — they had domineering fathers, Hollywood upbringing, and quiet dispositions. However, the bow that tied the little package together was that their parents were long-time friends.

Their children dating had a great appeal, so the two youngsters got together, marrying in April 1963. Together, they had four children, including twins, and a daughter who became a singer and actress.

The Crash

Over the next decade of making his music debut, he reeled off a string of rock and roll top 40 hits. He held a record that beat any other musician of his time, save for Pat Boone and Elvis Presley.

He remained musically relevant throughout the decade and even began earning credit for inspiring the likes of The Eagles and Linda Ronstadt's music journey.

He continued to tour frequently to promote his music and spread the genius of his voice to the world. On one of such tours, he met his untimely death, leaving the world mourning for him and the legacy he had left behind.

He never liked flying, and he'd even attended psychotherapy sessions to get himself on airplanes. It seemed necessary as he wanted to reach out to more audiences, including those flying distances away from his hometown.

The Premonition That Saved His Son’s Lives

It was the end of the year, and he was supposed to fly to Dallas for the New Year's show, accompanied by his twin sons, Matthew and Gunnar.

Gunnar said, "We were supposed to be on the plane on that trip. Our dad called us right before we were supposed to come down to Alabama and meet him and fly with him to the New Year's show in Dallas."

A few days before they left for the Dallas concert, he seemed to have had a premonition and decided he'd not fly in the company of his sons. Consequently, he called them to break the news.

Gunnar seems to think his father changed his mind because the plane they were supposed to travel in had had some engine trouble. That last-minute decision by their father saved their lives.

On that fateful day, he boarded the chartered DC-3 in Alabama. Shortly before arriving in Dallas, the cabin filled with smoke from a fire whose origin has remained a mystery for over three decades.

While the pilot successfully landed the plane in a field outside of De Kalb, Texas, all passengers aboard did not make it out alive, including him. The fans' favorite was gone, snatched from the world forever. This talented artist gone too soon is none other than Ricky Nelson.

Unproven Theories Surrounding the Crash

Following his untimely death, published reports began claiming that the fire resulted from him and his then-girlfriend, Helen Blair, "free-basing" cocaine. His brother, however, vehemently denied that he had ever used cocaine.

At the same time, his manager, Greg McDonald, disclosed that he and Blair had been asleep in their cabin when the smoke started. His daughter, Tracy, had another theory in mind.

Speaking with Larry King, she said that the plane, nicknamed the Flying Bus due to how slow it was, had had several problems with the gasoline heater, and that caused the fire.

Thirty years down the line, there is still no concrete theory that explains the cause of the fire leading to the death of one of America's most iconic rock and roll stars and his band.

The Children He Left Behind

Ricky left behind four beautiful children. His daughter Tracy is an actress, well known for her role as Rachel in the film "The Perfect Tenant" and Theda Bara in "As Long as I'm Famous," among many others.

His twin sons Matthew and Gunner followed in their father's footsteps and are renowned musicians. Besides touring to support their music, they also do special concerts for their father to remember his legacy. Matthew said:

"It's an ongoing labor of love, an open letter to our dad, who was our best friend."

The youngest of the Nelson children, Sam Nelson, is also a musician and is the lead vocalist for his band H is Orange. He performs in the band alongside Guy Staniar, Marcel Blanco, and Troy Brittain.