Ricky Nelson Saved His Twins Lives Hours before Passing Theyre 55 & Have Shown Their Kids

• Ricky Nelson's twins Mathew and Gunnar have built a successful music career with their band, Nelson.
• Ricky died in a plane crash that his twins were meant to be in, but he stopped them at the last minute.
• Now all his four children are entertainers keeping their father's legacy alive.

Ricky Nelson, the rock and roll teen idol that gained fame as a child appearing on his parent's television and radio programs, also inspired his children with his music career.

The singer inspired his twin boys, Mathew and Gunnar, to start a band called Nelson. The twins opened up about their entrance into the music industry as offsprings of a famous singer.

Ricky Nelson and his brother David Nelson photographed in 1960 | Source: Getty Images

Gunnar said they had to work extra hard because they were labeled as "trust fund babies," with critics putting more pressure on them because their father was Ricky and their grandparents were Ozzie and Harriet.

However, the brothers wanted their music to speak for itself, and sold over seven million album copies. Even then, the twins expressed that people always assumed they came from money, which was not true.

Mathew said they were the less well-off family in their neighborhood and that their father had debt of almost $4 million, which they had to pay off over a long period after Ricky died.

Rick Nelson and Kristin Harmon photographed in 1963 | Source: Getty Images

Aside from proving themselves to the world, the twins spoke about their estranged relationship with their mother, Kristin Harmon. They did not shy away from expressing their anger toward their mother growing up. They called her a "narcissist" and claimed she had a drinking problem.

According to Gunnar, Kristin blamed Ricky's hectic tour schedule for the demise of their marriage, but the Nelson band member countered that his mother did not want to take responsibility for her actions.

Therefore, when Mathew and Gunnar chose to pursue a music career, their mother was unsupportive because it reminded her of Ricky.

Gunnar Nelson and Matthew Nelson in Hollywood in 1990 | Source: Getty Images

As per the twins' claims, Kristin thought the music business was not a good place and that it would end badly for Gunnar and Mathew. The mother of four reportedly wrote her two sons letters after graduation, telling them they were delusional about starting music careers.

The Nelson band did not let their mother discourage them, but deep down, they hoped she would see they had built a successful career and eventually become supportive.

Even after their record "After the Rain" started making seven figures, the brothers thought their mother would come around and acknowledge their hard work.

, Rick Nelson and Kristin Harmon with their children, Tracy, Gunnar and Matthew in Los Angeles in 1968 | Source: Getty Images

At one point, she did raise her sons' hopes when she asked for two tickets to one of their gigs. It was an eight-thousand-seat venue that would have been perfect for her to get a close look at her sons, but Mathew and Gunnar said she gave the tickets to one of their helpers.

The other few times that Kristin attempted to see her children perform, she showed up with her husband, but the twins saw them leave before the show ended. This time she left because she was not impressed with their music.

It was difficult for the brothers to stop blaming themselves and conclude that their mother would not change, but it still hurt because the one person they wanted validation from would not acknowledge them.

Mathew and Gunnar might have had a strained relationship with their mother, but they shared a close one with their father. Ricky supported their musical ambitions, but unfortunately, he did not live to see his sons selling out shows and topping the charts.

Ricky died when the twins were 18. He, his fiance, and four others died when their band's private plane crashed on New Year's Eve. Interestingly, Mathew and Gunnar were meant to be on the plane, but their father called at the last minute to tell them to fly commercially.

The three had planned an eventful day. Ricky was going to have them on the plane for the first time, then watch his show and spend New Year's Eve together. However, Gunnar recalled Ricky calling him and telling them about the change of plans.

Gunnar remarked that his father sounded strange, and despite him reminding Ricky that the whole point was for them to have their first plane ride, he was stern about them flying to the Dallas show commercially.

The twins still cannot put their finger behind their father's phone call, but in a special way, Ricky saved his children's lives when he stopped them from boarding the private plane. “I think it’s likely he just had a gut feeling, and our family's pretty intuitive, and we kind of go with things like that,” said Gunnar.

Ricky never made it to his New Year's Eve show in Dallas as the plane crashed in a wooded area along the way. Everyone died except the pilot and the copilot, but they also suffered severe burn injuries.

Ricky Nelson's Twins Now Have Families

Mathew and Gunnar lost their father unexpectedly, but they have continued to work hard to ensure his legacy stays alive.

Gunnar is now a married man with children. For Mother's Day, the Nelson band member shared a sweet family picture thanking his wife, Lila, for being a selfless and loving mother and for blessing him with beautiful children.

Even for Lila's birthday, Gunnar showered his wife with love and asked his fans to make her feel special on her big day.

Mathew is also a father and had a sweet video of him and his son singing "Come And Get Your Love" by Redbone. Mathew also posted a sweet Mother's Day message for his wife, Kari. He thanked his wife for completing their family with their son Ozzie.

He praised her for being the best mother from when she was pregnant, handling a grueling 16 hours of labor, until when their son was born. The family of three also showed off their Halloween costumes with an adorable family picture.

All About Ricky Nelson's Other Kids

In addition to Mathew and Gunnar, Ricky shares a daughter Tracy and a son Sam with Kristin, and all of his children caught the entertainment bug.

Tracy pursued a career in acting and has starred in the CBS show "Father Dowling Mysteries." Sam stayed out of the limelight but also became a music executive.

Tracy Nelson in California in 2019 | Source: Getty Images

In 2022 Sam shared a rare picture of himself thanking his followers for the birthday wishes. As for Tracy, she is also a mother of two and loves to share special moments with her son Elijah and daughter Remington.

The Nelson siblings were distraught to lose their father, but they have stuck together throughout their lives, to keep their father's memory and legacy alive.

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