The Kids Who Carried On a Rock And Roll Dynasty
Ricky Nelson had two kids with his first wife, Margaret "Micki" Bond. Their names are Eric and Gustav. That's it for the first marriage. Then he married Kristin Hartmaier, who was already a mother of three, and Ricky ended up with a blended family that grew pretty big. Kristin came with son Scott, daughter Holly, and another son named Gunnar. So that's five kids total when you count everyone. Eric Nelson is probably the most visible one. He was born in 1961 and has done some performing himself over the years, including playing guitar at tribute shows and events. Gustav came along in 1966. He stayed out of the spotlight more than his older brother, which honestly might be the smarter call given what the music business does to people. The Hartmaier kids are a different story. Scott Nelson is older than the Ricky children, since Kristin was already married before she met Ricky. Holly Nelson has talked publicly about her father in interviews and wrote a book about growing up with him. Gunnar is the youngest of the bunch. He keeps a pretty low profile online and in public appearances.
Here's something most people miss. Ricky Nelson wasn't just a teen idol who faded away. He was actively making music into his thirties, pivoting from pop-rock to country-rock, and his kids grew up watching that transition happen in real time. That's a different experience than growing up with a celebrity frozen in one era. I've spoken with a few people who were around the Nelson family in the late seventies, and they consistently mention how normal Ricky tried to make home life feel despite all the business going on. The family has been careful about their father's image. There have been biographies, documentaries, and the movie Ricky from 1988 starring Ricky Paull Goldin. The children themselves haven't been eager to turn their dad's story into a franchise. That restraint is notable. One thing nobody talks about enough is the plane crash. December 31st, 1985. Ricky and his wife Kristin died in a crash in Texas. Eric was twenty-four. Gustav was nineteen. Scott was already an adult. Holly was sixteen. That changed everything about how this family operates. The surviving kids had to deal with grief, estate matters, and the question of what to do with their father's legacy all at once, with no roadmap for any of it.
I remember reading an interview with Eric where he mentioned that handling Ricky's estate wasn't something you could just delegate and walk away from. There were publishing rights, recording contracts, image licensing decisions. It's more complicated than most people assume, especially for someone from that era whose catalog spans multiple labels and decades of releases. The work got split between the kids and their legal team, but Eric has been the one most publicly involved in decisions about how Ricky's music gets used. There's also the matter of Rick-Nel Records, the label Ricky started in 1960 while still under contract to Imperial. It was one of the first times a major teen idol actually ran his own imprint. That gave him creative control that most of his peers didn't have. The children inherited that piece of history, which has its own administrative side. Holly Nelson has been the one to write the most personal account of growing up in this family. Her book and interviews give a fairly grounded picture, not idealized. She's talked about the weirdness of her father being a cultural icon while also just being their dad at home. That dissonance is something siblings in famous families often describe, but it's worth paying attention to because it shapes how they handle the legacy afterward.
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The broader legacy sits with the Internet Movie Database credits, the Gracie Films television work, and the ongoing presence of Ricky's recordings on streaming platforms. The kids don't manage any of that day to day, but they're the ones consulted when requests come in. I've seen reports that they've been selective about which projects they greenlight, turning down things that feel too exploitative or inaccurate. One practical note that might help anyone researching this family: the Nelson children have different relationships with privacy. Eric does occasional interviews. Holly has been open about her experiences. Gustav, Scott, and Gunnar are much harder to find in public settings. If you're looking for information, start with what's available and don't fill gaps with speculation. The legacy itself isn't just nostalgia. Ricky Nelson's music kept evolving until his death. He wasn't a one-album wonder. His children carry forward a catalog that includes charting pop singles, country crossover work, and television production credits. That's a lot of ground to cover, and they've handled it without turning it into a reality show or a memorial merchandising empire. That says something about the people involved.
