Years After Seeing Her Dad In A Dream, Ricky Nelson's Daughter Is A Proud Mom Who Looks Amazing At 60

Jun 09, 2023 by apost team

Showbiz royalty Tracy Nelson is known for her phenomenal heritage of being a fourth-generation entertainer in her family. However, the actress' struggles also played out before the public eye. The movie star, who is still going on strong with her beloved kids, once had a prophetic out-of-body experience where her late dad Ricky Nelson advised her to see a doctor. He had appeared in her dream, and Tracy could never have envisioned the following occurrences after the dream. 

Starting her career as a child star, Tracy got her first acting experience as an infant when she starred alongside her grandparents, Ozzie and Harriet, from the 1950s show “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.” By age 5, she had acted alongside legendary stars like Lucille Ball and Henry Fonda in 1968's "Yours, Mine, and Ours." Tracy was born the first of four children to music star Ricky Nelson and Kristin Harmon. While her family thrived in Hollywood, their personal lives had ups and downs.

Once speaking with People about her childhood, the actress described it as "chaotic." She relayed that she had a "close but strange relationship" with Ricky because "he was such a kid in so many ways." She recalled how she always had to remind her father to feel things done and secretly felt like he resented it. Tracy always thought their strange relationship would improve once she became a mother, but that never materialized. 

Now, Tracy is 60 years old and looks absolutely incredible. On top of that, she is a devoted mother to her children. Read on to learn more about Tracy’s life.

Ricky Nelson was an American musician and actor. He was born on May 8, 1940, in New Jersey. He began his career at the young age of 8 as he starred alongside his family members in a radio and TV series called “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.”

In 1957, Ricky began his career as a recording artist and quickly became a fan favorite both as a recording star and a TV icon. Soon enough, he was cast to act in motion pictures alongside popular figures such as John Wayne, Dean Martin and Angie Dickinson in the movie “Rio Bravo.” 

Along with that, his music career continued to flourish as he placed more than 50 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. While he had originally started out making pop music during his younger years, Ricky found great passion in country rock music during his 20s. He went on to record several albums with session musicians, although many of them were not commercially successful. However, his career picked back up with the 1969 live album “In Concert at the Troubadour, 1969.”

Ricky also won fans over with his song “Poor Little Fool” in 1958. That same year, he released “Lonesome Town,” another heartfelt track from the crooner. Some of his other notable tracks included “A Teenager’s Romance,” “Just a Little Too Much, “Sweeter Than You” and “Travelin’ Man.” Ricky’s talent was undeniable, and his impact on the music industry proved to be worthwhile. In January 1987, the star was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

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Regarding his personal life, Ricky was married to Sharon Kristin Harmon, later known as Kristin Nelson, who was a painter, actress and author. They were married from 1963 until their divorce in 1982. During their relationship, they welcomed four children together: Tracy Nelson, an actress, Sam Nelson, an actor, and twin sons and musicians Gunnar Nelson and Matthew Nelson.

Sadly, Ricky passed away on New Year’s Eve on Dec. 31, 185, in De Kalb, Texas, following a plane crash. Even though Ricky is no longer with us, his memory lives on through his music and legacy, and of course, thanks to modern technology. 

For the most part, people do not wish to feel sad, but this is mostly a matter of social conditioning. Think about it: We are constantly reminded to be happy because this is an informal part of the American Dream and its ethos. On the other hand, for some British people, the optimism is more understated, but the whole "keep calm and carry on" attitude subtly implies that happiness is expected.

The fact of all matters is that we cannot be happy all the time; there will be occasions when we feel blue, and sad songs such as "Lonesome Town" will be there to help people get through the downtimes.

When do we prefer listening to sad songs? When we are sad, of course, and we do so because this is part of a process. According to Science ABC, we need to feel the pain; it is better that way, and we need this because it is part of the human condition.

If we go through a breakup or through the loss of a loved one, we need personal space to deal with the pain, and we also need the comfort of sad tunes. Psychologists will tell you that this is a great way of coping; it is a matter of emotional health, Science ABC stated.

So, when a video showing Ricky singing “Lonesome Town” from 1958 emerged on YouTube, it wasn’t surprising that the somber song gained popularity with fans online. 

The late Ricky Nelson put forth an emotional performance of the song “Lonesome Town” in 1958. The song certainly pulled at people’s heartstrings, but it was also such a moving performance that people couldn’t help but want to watch it over and over again. One person even commented, "The universal language is not music, nor love; it is loneliness."

It isn’t just fans that are reminded of Ricky’s incredulous talent. Of course, his family members have continued to remember him even as time has continued to pass following his heartbreaking death.

As Ricky’s daughter, Tracy’s woes started in the 1980s after her father tragically died. Ricky lost his life in 1985 after a fatal plane incident that killed six others. According to the FAA, the plane incident was due to its faulty heating system. 

Despite this submission, rumors swirled that the accident was due to Ricky Nelson’s drug use. This controversy ravaged his family, coupled with a nasty custody battle his ex-wife, Kristin, faced. After his death, Kristin's brother and fellow actor Mark Harmon issued a petition to gain custody of Tracy's youngest sibling, Sam. 

Mark had opined that his sister was not emotionally stable enough to care for her youngest son. This was a nasty family issue that took so long, but by the time Tracy's brothers, Matthew Nelson and Gunnar Nelson, supported their mom, the issue died down. Mark dropped the case due to the rapid media attention. 

However, Tracy's struggles were far from over. Sadly, the actress went through more tough times in the years to come.

In 1987, The "Square Pegs" actress started experiencing new and unpleasant developments in her body. This was around the time she got married to her ex-husband, William R. Moses. The troubles of the past years affected her so much and contributed to her failing health. 

While working on the set of her hit series, "Father Dowling Mysteries," Tracy discovered that her health continued to fail. However, she got clarity about what was wrong with her in the most clairvoyant way. Tracy recalled to People: 

"My father called me on the phone and said, I know you miss me, but it's not time for you to die. You have to go see a doctor."

In December of the same year, Tracy did as her father told her in her dream, and the discovery changed the course of her life for the next decades. During a medical examination, doctors found a tumor the size of a grapefruit in her chest. She was also diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease, a cancer affecting the lymph nodes and spleen. “Right away I knew it was bad news,” Tracy explained.

Tracy’s then-husband, Moses, had been listening in on another phone at the time. With Moses listening in on another phone, Tracy’s fears were confirmed. “We sat on the floor and cried — I was just wiped out by the news,” Tracy said. She had seen her grandfather, Ozzie Nelson, die of liver cancer back in 1975. On top of that, Moses had learned that his father had throat cancer around the time of Tracy’s diagnosis.

The following line of action saw Tracy undergoing surgery one week later at Cedars Sinai Medical Center. With her family by her side, the Melrose Place actress stood firm. She underwent a 7-hour procedure to remove the tumor and the affected areas. Through chemotherapy and her journey to recovery, Tracy experienced a deep level of pain, but she never gave up.

"I was opened from right under my rib cage all the way down to my pelvic region,” Tracy explained. During her interview with People, she pulled up her blouse to reveal a scar that was 15 inches in length. “I was like a human biology project,” the actress added.

Fortunately, the illness had been caught early, and Tracy was able to work through her recovery. Unfortunately, that didn’t come easily. “Chemotherapy takes five hours to administer through a catheter and it’s the longest five hours of your life,” the actress explained. “It feels like you’re being poisoned.”

And after about two months of biweekly treatments, Tracy looked drastically different. Her skin was tinged green, and her weight was incredibly low on top of having no hair from the chemotherapy. 

But eventually, Tracy developed a new outlook on life and began becoming more optimistic about her recovery.

“I was all alone in my house, and I got down on my knees next to the bed, and I said out loud, ‘I’m too tired, I can’t do this anymore,’” she shared. “Then the weirdest thing happened. I got this wonderful, euphoric feeling, like the feeling you get when you’re in love.”

Tracy said that everything came down to “self-love,” and added, “That day I made a decision to stay alive. That’s when I really started to fight.”

In 1988 Tracy was completely cancer-free, and it took another year to recover fully. The actress got her most-cherished desire two years later when she became pregnant with her first child. Travy welcomed her daughter Remington Elizebath in 1992. After her divorce from Moses in 1997, Tracy had a relationship with Chris Clark, with whom she had her second child, Elijah Nelson Clark, in 2001.

Tracy is also very active in cancer research advocacy. She received the Lifesaver Award from The Lymphoma Research Foundation of America — an organization that she was also a spokesperson for. Tracy also received the Jill Ireland Award from the Amie Karen Cancer Fund for Children.

Jill Ireland was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1984 and wrote two books about her battle with the disease before later becoming a spokeswoman for the American Cancer Society. She passed away in 1990. It’s evident that her legacy has continued to live on, and people like Tracy Nelson are proving that people can go on to lead impactful lives.

Tracy is a survivor who has been thriving in leaps and bounds. She battled Hodgkin's disease, thyroid cancer, and breast cancer. Through it all, she came out strong and ever-radiant. Now at the age of 60 years old, Tracy is continuing to live a very fulfilling life. Through social media, the star has shown the world how much she enjoys her family life with her children, as she often shows them off on her social platforms, including her Facebook account.

One post highlighted that she was a super proud mother as she posted with Remington and Elijah in the heartfelt family moment while holding both of them close. In another post, the star mom displayed her son's musical talent in a short clip where he played the guitar. She captioned the video, “An Eli fragment.”

More of the photos showed the lookalike siblings posing on a train. The caption on that particular post read, “Remembering our last trip to NYC.” And for any parent, it’s safe to say that they know how Tracy felt when she documented her daughter’s beautiful wedding day.

While Tracy has gone through her own relationship struggles, she shared some heartfelt words with her daughter and her son-in-law for their special day. The post’s caption read:

“Remi and James. So calm and happy even though a huge crazy LA storm which hardly ever happens was rolling in and they had to move all their preparations inside at the very last minute. A lesson in how to handle marriage and life. #EyeOfTheHurricane.”

While she lives her best life with her children, Tracy Nelson is also an active advocate for cancer research. There’s no doubt that she will continue to lead a tremendous life ahead.

Isn't it inspirational that Tracy Nelson pulled through her life struggles and now lives in awe of her children? Do you know anyone battling ailments? Let us know, and be sure to pass this on to someone who might need some uplifting.