Being a fan of Gunnar and Matthew Nelson’s dad, Ricky Nelson (whose parents were Ozzie and Harriet Nelson), I was really intrigued and wanted to learn more about them. I only knew of one song by Nelson and Nelson, (Can’t Live Without Your) Love and Affection.
The book is co-authored by both of them and nothing was off limits for them as they sang about the lows and highs of the music business.
Well, first off, there parents were mostly absent as Rick was on the road 350 days a year and Kristen (the mom, whose brother is Mark Harmon) wasn’t interested in being a parent. Both also had quite a few extramarital affairs. Who raised Gunnar and Matthew? It was a bunch of nannies and themselves as they were left alone more often than not.
They were 18 years old when their dad died. A few years later, they had a hit song along with music videos. They were on top of the world, only to see it come crashing down a few years later as the Seattle music scene exploded. They used a lot of their own money to finance albums, tours, and studio time as record companies took everything from them.
There were quite a few stories of meeting there heroes, stories from the studio, and stories from concerts. One thing they didn’t talk about was their personal life’s (like, any ex or current wive’s or children, but that didn’t stop me from reading it and finishing it).
Fortunately, Gunnar and Matthew always stuck together (no Twin pun intended), and they persevered to carry on the Nelson music legacy (both for them and their dad). They are genuine and appreciative and seem to very likable to everybody.
