Ronda Rich

Syndicated Columnist

During the years of our lives, we will know extraordinary days sprinkled with laughter; ordinary days touched by a blessing or two and, less happily, days that are filled with tribulation or just plain annoyance.

But the magical days? They are few and far between, always to be cherished like the most enormous full moon on winter’s clearest night.

Not long ago, Tink and I were mesmerized by a magical night that will cling deep in the crevices of our memories until we no longer remember anything.

It began with a nudging from a mightily high power. I felt strongly that I should follow the loud whisper in my heart.

Tink was writing. I walked into his office, plopped down on the soft yellow love seat and said, “I feel that we should introduce the Isaacs to the Nelsons.”

He looked up from his laptop.

“Why?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know but it’s a feeling that won’t go away. It’s been tagging around with me for days.”

Our friends, the Isaacs, a bluegrass/gospel group have been awarded dozens of times over and are the only gospel group members of the Grand Ole Opry. Our other friends, twins Matthew and Gunnar Nelson, a rock-turned-country-rock group, went triple platinum with their first album, “After The Rain.”

At first glance, it seems like an odd combination but they are both family groups singing in, what we Appalachian folks call, “blood harmony.” And all are remarkable songwriters. Their values and personalities are similar – kind, thoughtful, courteous and spellbinding storytellers. In fact, the twins, whose stage name is Nelson, have written an autobiography that debuts in mid-December called “What Happened To Your Hair?,” a bow to the long blond hair they once donned.

The night of those introductions, we left Becky Isaacs Bowman’s house, where Becky had cooked a delicious Southern dinner for us and the twins, and Tink said, “Now, there are real Hollywood royalty. You say that about my family. We’re not even close.”

The Nelson are in the Guinness Book of World Records as the only family to have three generations, each with a number-one record.

Their grandfather, Ozzie, hit the top spot with And Then Some in 1935, followed by their father, Ricky, with numerous chart-toppers, selling over half a billion singles in his short life, while the twins’ single “(Can’t Live Without) Your Love” and “Affection” shot to number one and went triple platinum.

Tink is right – no other family in Hollywood, or the world, can claim the success of the Ozzie and Harriet Nelson family. From a successful radio show in the 1940s to putting fledging ABC into competition with CBS and NBC with a television show born from the radio serial, it is an astounding family.

Ozzie, a television innovator, wrote, produced, and acted in 435 episodes of the show. The twins, serious about their heritage, recently digitized the black and white episodes (which look fantastic) and now stream on a free app, Pluto, and on Peacock.

Their two sons, Ricky and David, co-starred on the show but it was Ricky, with a musical love and ability combined with astoundingly good looks, who became the breakout sensation, stardom lasting until his tragic death at 45 in a plane crash in Texas, New Year’s Eve afternoon, 1985. He was headed to a performance in Dallas. Matthew and Gunnar, then 18 and living with their father (Ricky and their mother, the former Kris Harmon, had gone through a long, miserable divorce), were crushed.

Known as one of the nicest guys – perhaps the nicest – star in the business, Ricky was an equally kind, loving father. The twins are just as wonderful as you would hope that any Nelson would be.

The Isaacs are also sweet, thoughtful, and God-fearing.

That afternoon in Tink’s office, he shrugged. “Then call both families and see if you can arrange it.

They’re all in Nashville. Maybe it’ll work out.”

With that encouragement, we headed on the journey toward magic. More on that next week.

“What Happened To Your Hair?” can be purchased from independent bookstores and online sellers. It is the story of Matthew and Gunnar Nelson and the Hollywood Royalty of their family.