Living in the shadow of a teenage idol: David Nelson enters the limelight

Jeremy Roberts

Feb 11, 2017·10 min read

Still handsome and dashing at age 51, David Nelson flashes a winning smile on the set of the documentary “Rick Nelson: A Brother Remembers,” which aired November 16, 1987. Nelson executive produced and directed the fondly remembered, if extremely rare, one hour special distributed by the Disney channel. Photography by Nick Ut

David Nelson was the epitome of a show biz kid. The eldest son of Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, the family rose to widespread recognition on the long-running sitcom/quasi-reality ABC series, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.

Of course, David’s little brother, Rick, became an overnight rock and roll sensation at the tender age of 17 when he…