The Death of Rick Nelson

The year was 1958, summertime, early noon. Music City, on the corner of Sunset and Vine, was busy. Sal Mineo was in one of the glass-covered record booths playing Gene Krupa and Max Roach records. Disc jockey Art Laboe and entourage were in one corner of the world-famous record store discussing business.

My friend and I were in one of the booths, facing Sunset Boulevard. Within minutes we noticed about 50 young girls run out of the place, joined by other young girls running up Vine Street. An accident? We exited the booth and followed the girls. More than 100 girls were staring into a small barber shop. We pushed through the crowd and looked in the window. The event: Ricky Nelson was getting a haircut!

CHUCK CURTI

Malibu