Behind the Music

Episode Synopsis

Looks at the life and career of rock & roll's first teenage idol, from his meteoric rise as a young rockabilly heartthrob in the late 1950's, to his 70's country-rock comeback with "Garden Party", his tragic death in a flaming plane wreck on New Year's Eve, 1985 -- and his posthumous induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Rick's one-of-a-kind story is told by his family, friends and fellow musicians, including his brother, David, and his four children, Tracy, Mathew, Gunnar, and Sam Nelson. Others interviewed for the episode include John Fogerty, Chris Isaak, Don Everly of The Everly Brothers, Sun Record's Sam Phillips, guitarist James Burton, The Jordanaires, and original Stone Canyon Band members Tom Brumley and Randy Meisner.