by Barbara Krolak

Matthew and Gunnar Nelson were 18 when their father died. 
"Our dad was our best friend," says Gunnar of his "teen idol" father, Ricky Nelson. 
Now, more than two decades later, they've put their love and admiration for him into a show and travel the country paying tribute to him. The twins will perform "Ricky Nelson Remembered" at 8 p.m. Saturday at the River Raisin Centre for the Arts. The concert features all of his hits, including "Travelin' Man," "Hello Mary Lou" and "Garden Party." 
"Our dad was a shy guy when he was alive, but I'll wave his flag all day long," Gunnar, a Nashville resident, said in a recent telephone interview from Matthew's home in Los Angeles. 
Many people might remember the twins from their own band, Nelson, which made it big in the 1980s. But then the grunge movement took over and the glory days of hard rock ended. 
"Thanskgiving, about five years, the base commander in Japan ‘asked if we could perform for the troops who couldn't get home. He asked if we'd do a set of our father's tunes, which we'd never done. We'll do anything for the military," Gunnar said. "It came together really well. It felt good." 
About a year later, they did a tribute show to promote a boxed set of Ricky Nelson's songs. That one show has grown into a touring show. 
"At first it was melancholy, but the audience reaction and their emotions expressed at the show made us feel great," Gunnar said. 
He calls the 1½-hour concert "a tribute to our father's life and times." 
Besides the songs, the show incorporates video from Ricky's performances, including those on "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet" TV series, and other clips. 
Gunnar said his dad's accomplishments in rock and roll often are overlooked by mass media and the public, but performers and record bosses of his day recognized his skills, popularity and the inroads he was making. 
Ricky, who died in a plane crash Dec. 31, 1985, in DeKalb, Texas, at the age of 45, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986, the second class of inductees. Gunnar would like to see him receive a Grammy Lifetime Achievement award. 
Meanwhile, Gunnar and Matthew continue with their music careers. Besides the tribute show, they've reformed Nelson and are touring with that band. 
"We always felt like were cut short," Gunnar, 41, said. Successful with hits like "After the Rain" and "(I Can't Live Without Your) Love and Affection," they left on an overseas tour only to return to find hard rock's hey-day had come to a crashing halt with the rise of grunge. 
"Everyone was wearing flannel and we weren't finished yet," he said. 
The twins also have joined with other 1980s rock musicians for a band called Scrap Metal. It includes Mark Slaughter of Slaughter, Kelly Keagy of Night Ranger and Eric Martin of Mr. Big. Gunnar calls it an "event band," only doing four to six shows a year. 
Gunnar's also appeared on TV shows, including "Celebrity Fit Club" and MTV's "The Great Debate" and has gotten involved with raising money for St. Jude Children's Hospital. 
As for the twins' long hair they wore during the 1980s, it's gone. 
"It was a blessing and a curse. People who don't know who we are" know the hair, Gunnar said. "We wanted our visual to be striking." 
Matthew cut his about 15 years ago. Gunnar cut his about 10 years ago and donated his tresses to Locks of Love. 
Gunnar said someone estimated that the time they took washing, styling and blow-drying their hair took 13 days out of the year. "I thought are you kidding me?" 
Gunnar said he and his brother look forward to meeting fans after Saturday's show. They enjoy hearing from fans and feeling the love and warmth they have for their dad. This tribute is one way they can give some of that back. 
If you go ... 
What: "Ricky Nelson Remembered," starring Gunnar and Matthew Nelson 
When: 8 p.m. Saturday 
Where: River Raisin Centre for the Arts, 114 S. Monroe St. 
Tickets: Adults, $35; senior citizens, $32; students, $18. Available at the box office, by telephone at 242-7722 or online at www.riverraisincentre.org. Also, anyone who uses the keyword JUDE when buying tickets will get $5 off the price to raise money for St. Jude Children's Hospital. 

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by Barbara Krolak
There's no shortage of fame and accomplishment in the Nelson family. 
"We come from a family of overachievers," Gunnar Nelson joked. 
Here's a look at Matthew and Gunnar's family tree: 
Immediate family: 
Father - Ricky Nelson, actor, singer and songwriter. 
Mother - Kristin Harmon, actress and painter. 
The couple divorced in 1981. 
Sister - Tracy Nelson, actress and writer. Known primarily for her roles in "Square Pegs" and "The Father Dowling Mysteries," she was diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease in 1987. Besides her acting career, she has become a cancer activist. 
Brother - Sam Nelson, musician and music executive 
Grandparents: 
Paternal - Ozzie and Harriet Nelson. Ozzie was a big-band leader and Harriet was the singer; their radio show eventually turned into a long-running TV show featuring the couple and their sons, David and Ricky. 
Maternal - Tom and Elyse (Knox) Harmon. Tom is called by some the great football player the University of Michigan ever had. He won the Heisman trophy in 1940, was a hero during World War II and went on to become one of the first athletes to become a sports broadcaster. Elyse was a 1940s movie actress who starred in a variety of roles until leaving the business in 1949. 
Aunts and uncles: 
David Nelson, Ricky's older brother. Actor, director, producer. 
Mark Harmon, actor. Brother of the twins' mother. Now starring in CBS' series "NCIS." 
Pam Dawber, actress and wife of Mark Harmon. Best known for her role as Mindy in "Mork and Mindy." 
Kelly Harmon, actress. Sister of the twins' mother. Best known as the "Tic-Tac girl" in the mint's commercials. In the Detroit area, she's also known as radio station WRIF's TV commercial girl in which she lip-synced sound bites from broadcasts and songs, ending with "Baby!" to disc jockey Arthur Penhallow's deep voice. 
"It made Christmas dinner interesting," Gunnar joked about his family ties. 
Despite all the connections to the entertainment industry the twins had, "nothing was ever given to us. We had to earn everything … We heard a lot of ‘no's.' … We had to make sure we were twice as qualified," he said. 
What the family did teach them, however, was that they could accomplish what they dreamed. Grandmother Harriet told them that their name might help them get their foot in the door, but it wouldn't assure their success, Gunnar said. 

TheNelsonBrothers.com