Tracy Nelson biography

Synopsis

Family Background

Actress Tracy Nelson was born on October 25, 1963, in Santa Monica, California into a famous showbiz family, Tracy Nelson was the oldest of four children born to the singer, songwriter and actor Ricky Nelson and his wife, actress Kristin Harmon. Her paternal grandparents were the famous singing-and-acting duo Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, while her maternal grandparents were football star and sportscaster Tom Harmon and actress Elyse Knox. The family performing tradition carried into Tracy's generation. Her younger brothers Matthew and Gunnar were musicians who formed the band Nelson, and her youngest brother Sam became a musician and music executive. Tracy Nelson also caught the performing bug early, appearing opposite Lucille Ball in the Henry Fonda film Yours, Mine and Ours before her 5th birthday.

Tracy Nelson's parents married in April 1963, before 400 guests in a large Catholic ceremony—a "shotgun" wedding, her father later joked, because Kristin was already pregnant with Tracy. The Nelsons' marriage was rocky, with both Ricky and Kristin accusing each other of affairs and substance abuse. Tracy fought frequently with her mother and lived at her father's house as a teenager. The Nelsons finally divorced in 1982.

Breakthrough Role

After graduating from Los Angeles' Westlake School for Girls in 1981, Tracy briefly attended Bard College. She dropped out in 1982 after being cast opposite Sarah Jessica Parker in the sitcom Square Pegs. Her snooty, popular Valley Girl character Jennifer DiNuccio was a hit with viewers. Nelson later went on to make guest appearances on 1980s shows such as St. Elsewhere, Family Ties and The Love Boat. She also starred in the movie Down and Out in Beverly Hills.

Personal Tragedy

But tragedy struck the Nelson family on December 31, 1985, when Ricky Nelson was killed in a plane crash. The accident, which occurred in De Kalb, Texas, also killed Nelson's girlfriend and fellow band members. Two years later, at the age of 23, Tracy Nelson married actor Billy Moses of the popular soap opera Falcon Crest. Shortly after her wedding, Nelson began feeling weak and ill. She then had a dream in which, she later recalled, "My father called me on the phone and said, 'I know you miss me, but it's not time for you to die. You have to go see a doctor.'"

A biopsy in December 1987 revealed a malignant grapefruit-sized tumor in her chest. She was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, a type of cancer. She blamed the illness on the stress of her father's death and an ugly family battle between her mother and uncle over custody of her youngest brother.