(NASHVILLE, TN) June 7, 2010 – Celebrity rockers Matthew & Gunnar Nelson announced multi-platinum rock star frontman and lead guitarist Mark Slaughter (Slaughter, Vinnie Vincent Invasion) will join their band NELSON as lead guitarist for the NELSON 20th Anniversary Tour. NELSON is celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the release of their international multi-platinum debut classic album “AFTER THE RAIN”.

NELSON will headline several upcoming major rock festival events including the M3 Rock Festival in Columbia, MD on June 19; Thunder Mountain RockFest in Sawyer, ND July 9; and The FireFest in Nottingham, England U.K. Oct. 31 as part of the NELSON 20th Anniversary Tour. 

“Mark Slaughter has widely been acknowledged worldwide as one of the best rock singers in the business for decades…but not enough people know what a fine lead guitarist Mark is, and always has been.  This tour is going to change that,” said Gunnar Nelson. “NELSON is lucky to have such an amazing addition to our band for the 20th Anniversary Tour.  It’s definitely going to ROCK!”

"It’s great to be back touring live with NELSON,” said Matthew Nelson. “We’re thrilled to have Mark Slaughter joining us onstage for these incredible rock festivals – M3, Thunder Mountain, FireFest and to connect with the fans who love melodic rock music.  The FireFest will be the first time ever NELSON has performed in the U.K.”

Mark Slaughter is probably best known as the lead front man and guitarist for the successful rock metal group bearing his own name, Slaughter, which sold in excess of five million records in the 1990s touring worldwide to sold-out arenas.  Best known for MTV / VH1 #1 hits "Fly to the Angels" and "Up All Night".  Mark also had a #1 hit “Love Kills” with the band Vinnie Vincent Invasion that was featured on the film soundtrack for Wes Craven’s “Nightmare on Elm Street” in 1986.

NELSON is the top-selling international rock group starring identical twin celebrity rockers Matthew & Gunnar Nelson. The 20th Anniversary Tour commemorates the phenomenon & success of NELSON’s “AFTER THE RAIN” record and tour.   NELSON has (1) One Number One, (4) Four Top Ten, and  (5) Five Top 40 Billboard Hot 100 hit singles, plus (5) Five #1 MTV videos and has sold over 6.5 million albums worldwide! Over 300 headlining shows worldwide. VH1 has ranked NELSON’s #1 “Love and Affection” as one of the "100 Greatest Songs of the '90s". 
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NELSON Press Release
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NELSON has a new album, “The Blond Leading the Blond” coming out soon on Frontiers Records.  Artistically, it will be a seamless follow up to the “After the Rain” album.

Matthew and Gunnar Nelson are the twin sons of Rock’n’Roll Hall of Famer Ricky Nelson, and grandsons of ‘50s TV icons Ozzie & Harriet Nelson. When NELSON first hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “(Can’t Live Without Your) Love and Affection” which they wrote and perform, it landed the Nelson family in the Guinness Book of World Records as the only family in entertainment history with (3) three generations of #1 hitmakers! 

Mark Slaughter joins the NELSON 20th Anniversary Tour kicking off with the M3 Rock Festival this month at the Merriweather Post Pavillion in Columbia, MD June 19th.
In addition to performing with NELSON on lead guitar, Mark will also perform as a solo artist opening for NELSON at the Mohegan Sun Wolf Den on June 26.

UPCOMING NELSON 20th ANNIVERSARY TOUR DATES INCLUDE:

June 19 M3 Rock Festival    Columbia, MD
June 26 Mohegan Sun    Uncasville, CT
July 9  Thunder Mountain RockFest  Sawyer, ND
July 17 Suzhou International Music Festival  Shanghai, China
July 23 Midwest Rockfest    Wichita, KS
Oct 31  The FireFest     Nottingham, England U.K.
 

NELSON Billboard Hot 100 hit singles include:  “(Can’t Live Without Your) Love and Affection”, “After the Rain”, “More Than Ever”, “Only Time Will Tell” and “(You Got Me) All Shook Up”.