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.

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. 

On December 30, 1968, The Spokesman-Review of Spokane,
Washington, ran an advertisement for a concert at Gonzaga
University featuring “The Vanilla Fudge, with Len Zefflin”—
a concert of which a bootleg recording would later emerge
that represents the first-ever live Led Zeppelin performance
captured on tape.

On December 20, 1957, while spending the Christmas holidays
at Graceland, his newly purchased Tennessee mansion, rock-
and-roll star Elvis Presley received his draft notice for the
United States Army (above).

                 
MIKE GRACIA

Brenda Lee with Elvis Presley.

Singer Brenda Lee is known for her rockabilly, pop, country,
and Christmas music. She achieved her first Billboard hit at
age 12 in 1957.

Some of Lee’s most successful songs include "Sweet Nothin’s",
"I’m Sorry", "I Want to Be Wanted", "Speak to Me Pretty", "All
Alone Am I", and "Losing You".

Her song "Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree", recorded in
1958, topped the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 2023, making Lee
the oldest artist ever to top the chart and breaking several
chart records. She is 81 years young today.