Biography

David Nelson was born on October 24, 1936 in New York City to Ozzie Nelson and Harriet Nelson. He attended Hollywood High School. He later was a film producer (The Nelson Co.) and director, who directed several episodes of The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (1952).

Nelson had two sons with his first wife, June Blair. Daniel Blair Nelson was born on August 20, 1962 and James Eric Nelson was born June 8, 1966. After that marriage ended in divorce, he remarried to Yvonne O'Connor Huston in 1975, adopting her three children.

His stepdaughter Teri Nelson Carpenter was once married to game show host Chuck Woolery. His twin nephews Matthew and Gunnar, perform as The Nelsons. Matthew Nelson performs with Red37 and Gunnar Nelson is a radio host. His niece, Tracy Nelson, is an accomplished actress.
- IMDb mini biography by: Rms125a@hotmail.com (updated)

David Nelson was born in 1936, the elder son of actor and bandleader Ozzie Nelson and singer Harriet Hilliard, and the elder brother of pop star Ricky Nelson. The family worked on Red Skelton's radio show. Rick was born in 1940, the year before the Nelsons moved permanently to Hollywood.

After their parents launched their radio show in 1944, David and Rick would accompany their parents to their live broadcasts. They had no show business aspirations, but when they heard that their young friend, Lindsay Crosby was going to make a guest appearance with his father, Bing, in an episode of the show in December 1948, David and Rick lobbied their parents to let them appear as well. Ozzie and Harriet finally agreed to let them play David and Ricky in the preview show before a studio audience but not the actual broadcast. As Harriet Nelson told an interviewer: "You're not anxious to put your career in the hands of kids."

The boys did not disappoint their parents, "They just opened their mouths and you never heard such laughs, Ricky sounded like a pipsqueak!" David and Ricky joined Ozzie and Harriet's radio show, "Here Come The Nelsons", in its fifth year, after both became old enough to perform. In 1952, the entire family appeared alongside Rock Hudson in the feature film, Here Come the Nelsons (1952), the success of which prompted ABC to go ahead and move the Nelsons' show from radio to television, where it became a hit, running for 14 seasons on the network-setting the record for longest-running sitcom, until The Simpsons (1989) broke their record in 2004.

David Nelson produced and directed several episodes, and made appearances in movies and TV shows including Smash-Up on Interstate 5 (1976) (in which his mother singer-actress Harriet Nelson, appeared with him), The Big Circus (1959), High School U.S.A. (1983) and Up in Smoke (1978) (as a doorman at the Roxy) , while his directing credits included Childish Things (1969), Death Screams (1982), Last Plane Out (1983), and Rare Breed (1984). His last on-screen appearance was in John Waters's Cry-Baby (1990).

He was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2006.
- IMDb mini biography by: Rms125a@hotmail.com

We would keep up the front of this totally problemless, happy-go-lucky group. There might have been a tremendous battle in our home, but if someone from outside came in, it would be as if the director yelled, "Roll 'em". We'd fall right into our stage roles.

It's an awfully big load to carry, to be everyone's fantasy family.

[on his lack of sibling rivalry over Rick's larger fanbase] We were 3½ years apart, so when Rick was funny I laughed with everyone else. And when he became a popular singer, I rooted for him.

[Ozzie Nelson looking for some stage business for David to do in a scene] I was about 20 and because I smoked at the time, he said, 'Why don't you just go over and light a cigarette.' I said, 'You know, Dad, I don't think I could do that.' I tried, but it was so out of character for David Nelson -- and yet I did smoke.