October 31, 2008 09:33 pm

— As the original teen idol, the late Ricky Nelson had the kind of looks that made girls weak in the knees. As a parent, he had the kind of looks that could wither his children into submission.
His son Matthew remembers getting just such a look as a child before learning a valuable lesson that has served him well as an entertainer.
“We were going to the movies, and we were late,” the 41-year-old recalled. He said his dad smoked a special brand of cigarettes and needed to stop at the market to pick some up before going to the show.
“There was this gentleman in the produce section who said, ‘Hey, Ricky, can I just say hello to you?’ And Dad started talking to him. Well, you know how five minutes can seem like an eternity, especially when you’re running late, and I was squirming around when Dad turned around and gave me one of those looks that says, ‘Excuse me, I’ll get to you in a second.’
“I shut up and stood there for about 20 minutes. Then Dad shook the guy’s hand before getting down to my level, and he said, ‘Matthew, I’m not saying you need to do what I do for a living, but that man has probably waited a long time to meet me and will probably never get another chance ...
“‘He deserves my attention because it’s people like him who pay for our house and our food. He’ll remember this for the rest of his life, and I want him to have a good memory.’
Matthew said it was one of the greatest impressions his father ever made on him, and it was the kind of impression he and his identical twin brother, Gunnar, hope to leave with their fans — and their dad’s fans — Saturday.
The duo will perform at McHale Performing Arts Center as part of their “Ricky Nelson Remembered” tour. The show will feature such hits as “Garden Party,” “Travelin’ Man,” “Hello, Mary Lou,” “I’m Walkin’,”  and “Lonesome Town.”
Unlike some children who shy away from a famous parent’s profession, the Nelson twins have embraced their father’s legacy as a singer and musician.
However, they needed to make their own mark first and ended up becoming teen idols in their own right in the 1990s, recording and performing such original material as “Love and Affection,” “After the Rain” and “More Than Ever.”
It was inevitable, though, that Ricky Nelson’s twin sons would be asked to perform some of their dad’s music.
“People who grew up with Dad would ask us to play one or two of his tunes, and we wanted to do it right and make him proud,” said Matthew.
The tour took root at a American military base in Japan, according to Matthew. One of the personnel stationed there was a “big Ricky Nelson fan” and wanted to have a show with a Ricky Nelson theme, he said.
“So, we flew to Japan and performed for these 18- and 19-year olds who had so much fun — which is a testament to great music. Gunnar and I sort of looked at each other like we were idiots for not doing something like it sooner. And there’s no greater tribute than to keep his music around.”
Ricky Nelson grew up in front of America on his parents’ hit TV show, “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet” from 1952 to 1966. He died at the age of 45 in a plane crash on Dec. 3, 1985. He’d been scheduled to perform in Logansport in March 1986.
“We were very fortunate,” Matthew said. “I wish he could have been around longer, but we’re fortunate to have had him when we did.”
And music was the twins’ connection to their dad.
“For Gunnar and myself, we communicated with him more through music,” said Matthew. “ ... He didn’t really know how to be a dad — he was a work in progress.”
Ricky was young when he started his career, young when he died and he was young when he started having a family. Oldest daughter, Tracy, was born when Ricky was 23. Matthew and Gunnar were born four years later and the youngest of the family, Sam, was born in 1974.
“I think Dad had a charisma that I only saw in one other performer,” Matthew said. “And that was Elvis. It was just a natural thing. He didn’t try, he just had it. He was truly impressive, and I saw him play in everything from huge festivals to tiny night clubs. And he always played like it was his last show.”
And his last performance was no different. In the past year, Matthew and Gunnar received a bootleg copy of Ricky’s last concert held in Guntersville, Ala., at a place called PJ’s Alley. 
“It was incredible ... amazing,” Matthew said. “It was a light audience, and I got the impression from him that he never looked like he was just trying to get through a show. ... I think we inherited that. What we do is as close to heaven as being there.”

Want to go?
Matthew and Gunnar Nelson, twin sons of the late Ricky Nelson, will perform some of their father’s hits along with some of their own music, at 7 p.m. Saturday at McHale Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $30 for adults and $15 for students. For more information, call the McHale box office at (574) 753-4116. 

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