OZZIE et al I think he was "Ozzie" from the moment of birth. I never have heard anyone refer to him as "George"- which was his second name, nor "Oswald" either, for matter, even though that was his true name.
To me he was, at first, just another eager-to-be-know college boy leading a small dance orchestra. He played decent enough Sax-Clary, which was a marked advantage because, as I recall, too many college music men tried to move upward as wand wavers rather than performers.
Born in Jersey City, N.J. of Swedish parents, he grew up in and affluent suburb called Ridgefield Park, was an active Eagle Scout winning an "Exceptional" Award" one year. He played football at Rutgers University where he graduated, in spite of his rather small build. He entered Law School .
Those were years when Depression realities dogged all of us and Ozzie knew he had to earn his way. He turned to his best source of income. He became full-time musician.
He formed a dance orchestra called "The Ozzie Nelson Band". He was moderately successful in the New York area. His big break came as a self-constructed one in 1930.
The New York "'DAILY MIRROR" - one of the nation's largest tabloid newspapers -
was running a poll of its readers which would determine which dance band in the New York area was the favorite. Ozzie Nelson realized that the people who sold the "Daily Mirror" did so under the common business rules of that day. They got credit for any unsold copies of the newspaper by
returning the first page of the paper and discarding the rest of the issue. The Ozzie Nelson and members, it is said, realizing that the "best band ballot" was not printed on the front page of the paper, "acquired" or "gathered in" as possible of the discarded newspapers ; promptly mailed them in and guess which band nosed out the famous "Paul Whitman Orchestra." as New York's favorite band!
In October 1935 Ozzie married the band's vocalist Harriet Hilliard. Son David was born in 1936 and he became a high-wire and trapeze performer, an actor and director. Second son - Eric - forever afterward known as "Ricky" - was born in 1940 and became well know as an actor and singer. "Ozzie and Harriet" appeared regularly on the "Red Skelton" radio shows and in 1954 Nelson developed his own radio series called "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet". The show went on the air in 1944, with the two son played by actors until 1949. In 1952 the whole family moved over to television and America watched Ozzie and Harriet raise their boys.
Stars are at the proper places on the "Hollywood Walk of Fame." Ozzie, Harriett and son Ricky rest at Forest Lawn - "adventuring" somewhere, I can imagine.
A.L.M. March 18, 2006 [c482wds]
