Editing Ricky Nelson (section)

==Personal life==
[[File:Rick kris nelson 1964.JPG|thumb|Ricky and Kristin Nelson in 1964]]

In 1957, when Nelson was 17, he met and fell in love with [[Marianne Gaba]], who played the role of Ricky's girlfriend in three episodes of ''Ozzie and Harriet''.{{sfn|Bashe|1992|p=136}}{{sfn|Selvin|1990|p=72}} Nelson and Gaba were too young to enter a serious relationship, although according to Gaba "we used to [[Making out|neck]] ''for hours''."{{sfn|Bashe|1992|p=137}}{{sfn|Selvin|1990|p=73}}

The next year, Nelson fell in love with 15-year-old [[Lorrie Collins]], a country singer appearing on a weekly telecast called ''Town Hall Party''.{{sfn|Bashe|1992|p=106}}{{sfn|Selvin|1990|p=81}} The two wrote Nelson's first composition, the song "My Gal", and she introduced him to [[Johnny Cash]] and [[Tex Ritter]]. Collins appeared in an ''Ozzie and Harriet'' episode as Ricky's girlfriend and sang "Just Because" with him in the musical finale.{{sfn|Selvin|1990|p=83}} They went steady and discussed marriage, but their parents discouraged the idea.{{sfn|Selvin|1990|pp=83, 116}}{{sfn|Bashe|1992|pp=138, 145}}

===Kris Harmon===
At Christmas 1961, Nelson began dating [[Kristin Nelson|Kristin Harmon]] (June 25, 1945 – April 26, 2018), a daughter of football player [[Tom Harmon]] and actress [[Elyse Knox]] (née Elsie Kornbrath) and the older sister of [[Kelly Harmon|Kelly]] and [[Mark Harmon]].{{sfn|Bashe|1992|pp=138, 140–141}}{{sfn|Selvin|1990|p=140}} The Nelsons and the Harmons had long been friends, and a union between their children held great appeal.{{sfn|Bashe|1992|p=139}} Rick and Kris had much in common: quiet dispositions, Hollywood upbringings, and high-powered, domineering fathers.{{sfn|Bashe|1992|p=140}}

They married on April 20, 1963. Kris was pregnant,{{sfn|Selvin|1990|p=149}} and Rick later described the union as a "[[shotgun wedding]]".{{sfn|Bashe|1992|p=144}} Nelson, a nonpracticing Protestant, received instruction in Catholicism at the insistence of the bride's parents{{sfn|Bashe|1992|p=144}}{{sfn|Selvin|1990|pp=137, 149}} and signed a pledge to have any children of the union raised in the Catholic faith.{{sfn|Selvin|1990|p=149}} Kris Nelson joined the television show as a regular cast member in 1963.{{sfn|Bashe|1992|p=145}}{{sfn|Selvin|1990|p=150}} They had four children: actress [[Tracy Nelson (actress)|Tracy Kristine Nelson]], twin sons Gunnar Eric Nelson and Matthew Gray Nelson who formed the band [[Nelson (band)|Nelson]], and Sam Hilliard Nelson.

By 1975, following the birth of their last child, the marriage had deteriorated and a very public, controversial divorce involving both families was covered in the press for several years. In October 1977, Kris filed for divorce and asked for alimony, custody of their four children, and a portion of community property. The couple temporarily resolved their differences, but Kris retained her attorney to pursue a permanent break.{{sfn|Selvin|1990|p=230}}{{sfn|Bashe|1992|p=205}} Kris wanted Rick to give up music, spend more time at home, and focus on acting, but the family enjoyed a recklessly expensive lifestyle, and Kris's extravagant spending left Rick no choice but to tour relentlessly.{{sfn|Selvin|1990|p=251}} The impasse over Rick's career created unpleasantness at home. Kris became an alcoholic and left the children in the care of household help.{{sfn|Bashe|1992|p=218}} After years of legal proceedings, they were divorced in December 1982. The divorce was financially devastating for Nelson, with attorneys and accountants taking over $1&nbsp;million.{{sfn|Bashe|1992|p=221}} Years of legal wrangling followed.{{sfn|Bashe|1992|p=237}}{{sfn|Selvin|1990|p=262}}

===Helen Blair===
{{anchor|Helen Blair}}
In 1980, Nelson met Helen Blair, a part-time model and exotic animal trainer, in [[Las Vegas]].{{sfn|Bashe|1992|p=242}} Within months of their meeting, she became his road companion, and in 1982 she began living with him. She was the only woman he dated after his divorce.{{sfn|Bashe|1992|p=242}}{{sfn|Selvin|1990|p=260}}

[[File:Ricky Nelson free.jpg|thumb|Nelson plays at a concert in Lawton, Oklahoma]]

Blair acted as personal assistant to Nelson, organizing his day and acting as a liaison for his fan club,{{sfn|Bashe|1992|p=242}} but Nelson's mother, brother, business manager, and manager disapproved of her presence in his life.{{sfn|Bashe|1992|pp=242, 244}} He contemplated marrying her but eventually declined.{{sfn|Bashe|1992|p=246}} Blair died with Nelson in the airplane fire. Her name was never mentioned at Nelson's funeral.{{sfn|Bashe|1992|p=273}} Blair's parents wanted their daughter buried next to Nelson at [[Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)|Forest Lawn Cemetery]], but Harriet dismissed the idea.{{sfn|Bashe|1992|p=244}} The Blairs refused to bury Helen's remains and filed a $2&nbsp;million [[wrongful death]] suit against Nelson's estate.{{sfn|Bashe|1992|p=273}} They received a small settlement.{{Sfn|Bashe|1992|p=271}}