Ricky Nelson  (later known also as Rick Nelson)  (May 8, 1940 – December 31, 1985) was an American actor, musician and singer-songwriter.  He starred alongside his family in the television series, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (1952–66), as well as co-starring alongside John Wayne and Dean Martin in Howard Hawks’s western feature film, Rio Bravo (1959).  He placed 53 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 between 1957 and 1973 including “Poor Little Fool” which holds the distinction of being the first #1 song on Billboard magazine’s then-newly created Hot 100 chart.  He recorded 19 additional Top 10 hits and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on January 21, 1987.  In 1996, he was ranked #49 on TV Guide’s 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time.  (More from Wikipedia)