Four-CD, 100-Track Compilation With Hits, Rarities, Outtakes, Alternate Versions, Previously Unreleased Tracks, Live Recordings and Archival Tracks from the Nelson Family

Capitol Records announced the Nov. 21 release of "Rick Nelson - Legacy," the first time ever his prolific career has been captured in one collection.

With 100 tracks on four CDs, "Rick Nelson - Legacy" is sure to defy the artist's most famous lyric, "You can't please everyone, so you've got to please yourself." Fans are bound to be pleased by having 54 of his chart hits, plus previously unreleased bonus tracks, outtakes, alternate versions and live performances.

Showing his growth from teen idol to acclaimed songwriter, influential musician and leader of the Stone Canyon Band, the set would also surely please the man himself too.

Fully endorsed by the Nelson Estate, with some recordings coming directly from their own personal archives, "Rick Nelson - Legacy" features the rockabilly-teen hits the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame member recorded for Verve and Imperial Records as well as the best of the pioneering country rock recordings he made for Decca and Epic, as well as his return-to-rockabilly stint with Capitol.

The deluxe, 48-page booklet features rare photos and includes forwards by all four of Nelson's children and some of the top musicians and producers with whom he worked. It also contains a full discography and liner notes by Colin Escott, a Grammy® Award winner for the Hank Williams Sr. box set.

"Rick Nelson - Legacy" is being released in conjunction with the 60th anniversary of Nelson's birth, which occurred on May 8 of this year. Nelson was killed in a plane crash on Dec. 31, 1985.

In a career that spanned more than 30 years of television, recordings and films, Nelson racked up two No. 1 singles, 19 Top 10 hits, one No. 1 album, three Top 10 albums and more than a dozen gold records.

"Rick Nelson - Legacy" opens with his first hit, his cover of Fats Domino's "I'm Walkin'," which reached No. 4 on Billboard in 1957 and sold 1 million copies, half of them in the week after he performed it on his parents' TV show, "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet."

The follow-up, "A Teenager's Romance," did even better, hitting No. 2. His debut album reached the No. 1 spot later that year and contained the No. 3 hit, "Be Bop Baby," plus "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You," which reached the top 30.

Over the next few years, Nelson hit the top of the charts with "Poor Little Fool," "Travelin' Man" and its B-side, "Hello Mary Lou." His father even created an early "music video" to accompany the TV show performance of the ballad, "Travelin' Man."

"Just A Little Too Much," "Sweeter Than You," "Stood Up," "Believe What You Say," "Lonesome Town," "I Got A Feeling," "Never Be Anyone Else But You," "For You," "Teenage Idol," "Young World," "It's Up To You" and "It's Late" all landed him in the top 10.

"You're My One And Only Love," "Waitin' In School," "My Bucket's Got A Hole In It," "I Wanna Be Loved," "A Wonder Like You," "String Along," "Fools Rush In" and "Young Emotions" all went top 20.

Considering that his parents first found fame as big band musicians, it's not surprising that viewers of "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet" complained about Rick playing rock 'n' roll on the show. The problem was addressed in one episode when he discussed the music with his mother, Harriet, and his music continued to be intertwined with the hit series.

In the mid-'60s, after the British invasion and the end of the TV show, Nelson drew on his early rock and rockabilly roots and began to mix country with rock music. He formed the Stone Canyon Band, which featured future Eagle, Randy Meisner.

Not all of his fans wanted him to move on, however, and in October 1971, he was booed for his long hair and new sound during an oldies concert at Madison Square Garden.

But Nelson turned the failure into success the next year with his most enduring song, "Garden Party," and the famous line, "You can't please everyone, so you've got to please yourself." It hit No. 6 in Billboard and became his first million-selling release in a decade.

Also among the highlights on "Rick Nelson - Legacy" are "My Rifle, My Pony and Me," with a guest appearance by Dean Martin, who starred with Nelson in "Rio Bravo." Don Everly joins Nelson in a live recording of "Bye Bye Love," which Nelson never officially recorded on any album.

In addition, there are recordings of "The Christmas Song" and "Jingle Bells" provided by the Nelson family, and alternate versions of "Lonesome Town, "I've Been Thinkin'" and "Just A Little Too Much."

Whether you prefer the teen idol Ricky or the mature performer Rick, who dropped the "y" from his name when he turned 20, either way, there is no question that Nelson remains one of the most intriguing icons of the 20th century.

Nelson's music once prompted Elvis Presley to remark, "If James Dean sang, he would sound just like Ricky Nelson." People Magazine voted him a "Top 10 Teen Idol of All Time."

The Nelson family biography scored a new ratings record when it aired on A&E in 1998, and 2000 marks a unique highlight in the history of this diverse artist, as Rick Nelson became the only other artist to ever be chosen for representation/licensing by Elvis Presley Enterprises.

In October, a hollywoodandvine.com/ricknelson site will be launched through Capitol Records with a link to the official Rick Nelson site. In November, a 45-rpm vinyl and CD single will be serviced to oldies, standards and country gold radio plus jukeboxes nationwide with the previously unreleased "The Christmas Song" and "Jingle Bells."

On Nov. 18 and 19, Dick Clark's nationally syndicated "Rock, Roll 'n' Remember" radio show will air a special dedication to Nelson and "Legacy."

In addition, Rick Nelson will reach a new audience of teenage fans in 2000 through the WB Network's "7th Heaven" television show, which will feature several songs from "Legacy," plus advertising and a mention in the storyline of its Nov. 20 episode -- one day before the release date of the box set.