Ricky Nelson

This was my first love. Ricky Nelson. Isn't he dreamy?

I fell in love with him before I was even 5 years old. When my family made {long} road trips, we would listen to Ricky's cassette tapes. I'm sure we listened to more than just Ricky, but for whatever reason, I fell in love with him and his music.  Nothing brings the nostalgia like listening to some good ol' Ricky Nelson. Unfortunately, he's not exactly radio play. Not that I listen to the radio...but you get the point.

Insert Pandora.

It occurred to me a couple of weeks ago, when I was really itchin' for some Ricky, that I could make a station on Pandora that would be sure to play his music. So that's just what I did. I am So. So. happy with it.

Not only does Ricky bless my ears every few songs, but all the filler songs bring their own kind of nostalgia, and I love it. The best part is that I already know all of the songs, thanks to many factors including my parents, and movies like, Back to the Future, Now and Then, Dirty Dancing, Clue, and others. (The only con to this music is that it has, at times, made me miss my dad.)

Not only does this music make my heart happy, but it makes my feet dance. They can't help it. I'm starting to think I was born in the wrong era. Thankfully, music lives on forever.

I have some Ricky Nelson stories, if you're interested in them. Ok, stop reading now, if you aren't interested.

When I was between the ages of 5-7, when I felt sad, I would find our Ricky Nelson cassette tapes and play them while cuddled up with the stereo.

One one of our many road trips, one of the Ricky Nelson cassette tapes bit the dust. (It was well used.) Mom threw it out the window and when we stopped at the next gas station, we bought another Ricky tape.

When I was 12, I called the "oldies" radio station and requested my favorite Ricky song, That's All She Wrote, and stayed up until midnight waiting for them to play it. They never did.

A good friend in high school, Trent, bought me a Ricky CD for my birthday. I don't know where it is, and that makes me sad.

My pick-up, that I drove in high school, was broken into one night, and when I realized things were missing, the first thing I went looking for was above mentioned Ricky Nelson CD. The thieves apparently did not share my love for good music. Whew.

I read a biography about Ricky when I was in middle school. For fun.

James found, and pirated, a copy of my favorite Ricky song before we were even dating. That's where my love for him began.

Holy Cow, I can think of even more stories! I promise, I'm not obsessed with him because I don't even own any of his music, but now I realize that I certainly wouldn't mind if I did. Until that day, thank goodness for Pandora.

Fun fact:
Ricky Nelson had twin boys who also started their own music group, called Nelson. Their music is nothing like their father's music. Too bad.

*Update:  James combed through our never used pile of CDs and found not 1, but 2 Ricky Nelson CDs!  Woot!