Pop Music
Rick Nelson was a rock and roll idol as well as a TV and movie star. One of his earlier rock and roll hits and what has become one of the great golden odies was “String Along,” a song about a girl who uses dating you to go on to someone else. The song was written by songwriter Jimmy Duncan (“My Special Angel”) and musician’s musician jazz vocalist Robert Glen “Bobby” Doyle. “String Along” charted in 1959 for Fabian in the top 40. Rick Nelson covered it in 1963, releasing it as the B-Side to “Gypsy Woman.” His version reached #25 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, #17 on Cash Box, and #26 in Australia. It’s a wonderful vocal, and he sounds a lot like his dad, Ozzie.
Rick Nelson was both a musician and an actor, starring with his family in the long-running television series The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (1952-1966), as well as co-starring alongside John Wayne and Dean Martin in Howard Hawks’ Western feature film Rio Bravo (1959). Nelson’s discography includes 36 albums and 91 singles. He had 53 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 between 1957 and 1973.