Nelson boarded a chartered DC-3 in Guntersville, Alabama,
bound for a New Year’s Eve appearance in Dallas. Shortly
before reaching Dallas the cabin of Nelson’s plane filled
with smoke due to a fire of undetermined origin.
While the two pilots of the plane would survive their
attempted emergency landing in a field outside De Kalb,
Texas, all seven passengers on board were killed, including
the first pop star to cross over from the Nielsen charts to
the Billboard charts, Rick Nelson.
In 1987, Rick Nelson was posthumously inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame—an honor no other former
child actor has yet achieved.
Last photo of Rick Nelson and Helen Blair.
