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Qzzie Nelson

2023 Inductee

2023 Inductee

Ozzie Nelson was born in New Jersey and earned a law degree from Rutgers University.  During the Depression, he turned to music as a full-time career, and became a band leader.  He married the band vocalist, Harriet, and is best known for originating and starring in the radio and TV series, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.  Besides being a band leader, Ozzie was an actor, filmmaker, and musician.

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His son, Ricky Nelson, was a singing sensation.  While listening to demos in the studio, the song, "Hello Mary Lou" came on. In the studio was Ricky Nelson, James Burton, Joe Osbourne, the engineer, and Ozzie Nelson.  Ricky was always busting his father's chops because he was a band leader from decades earlier, and said, "Too bad you don't have your tenor guitar here, Pop.  You could play on this one."  Noone noticed he'd disappeared, and ten minutes later, he came back to the studio with his tenor guitar. 

 

The recording commenced with no drummer.  The only thing keeping the great rhythm section throughout was Ozzie's tenor guitar.  That song helped put the Nelson family in the Guinness Book of World Records as the only family in history with three generations of #1 hits.

 

Ozzie passed away in 1975 when he was 69.  For his tenor guitar contribution to the hit song, "Hello Mary Lou," we're  happy to induct Ozzie Nelson into the Tenor Guitar Hall of Fame.

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