Gunnar, Matt Nelson ready to 'set the record straight' on their dad Ricky's tragic death

Gunnar and Matt Nelson recently reflected on the lasting legacy of their father, Ricky Nelson, and grandparents, Ozzie and Harriet Nelson.

For those unaware, the 59-year-old twin brothers are the sons of Ricky and Kristin Harmon and grandchildren of renowned American actor and filmmaker Ozzie and American actress Harriet.

Born into a family of artists, both Gunnar and Nelson have been writing music since the age of 6 and became famous after launching the hard rock duo Nelson in the early 1980s.

Now, the Nelsons have been added to the Guinness Book of World Records for reaching number one record status in three successive generations.

In a recent interview with PEOPLE magazine, both Gunnar and Matt, who perform under the name of Ricky Nelson Remembered, paid homage to their late father Ricky, who lost his life in a plane crash at the age of 45 on December 31, 1985, near De Kalb, Texas.

Gunnar said, "It's been a lifetime of misperception, but ... it's really been a Nelson's job, throughout the last 100 years of entertainment, to make people forget about reality.”

He added, "Our whole family was about making people forget about the bills they had to pay, or the relationship they had that was going down in flames and all that."

According to both brothers, the culture has changed, and they are all set to freely talk about their family, their journeys in the music industry, and especially Ricky’s plane crash in a new book, What Happened To Your Hair?

Gunnar stated, "This is really the first opportunity to set the record straight, not just on what happened with our dad's plane crash but also the interesting facts behind our grandpa Ozzy — writing, producing, editing, directing and starring in all 435 episodes of the longest-running sitcom in television history [The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet], and not getting a single Emmy nod.”

"Or our father selling half a billion singles and pioneering not only early rock and roll in its formative years, but reinventing himself as one of the first true country rockers — and not one single Grammy,” he said.

Before concluding, it is pertinent to mention that What Happened To Your Hair? was released on December 16, 2025.