Ricky Nelson

His baby-faced good looks and easy way with a rockabilly song earned him entry into living rooms closed to edgier early rockers. In quick succession he reeled off hits such as Be-Bop Baby, I'm Walkin', Poor Little Fool, Travelin' Man and Hello Mary Lou.

In the Sixties and Seventies Nelson attempted to gain a contemporary audience, but in October 1971, he was booed when he tried to perform new songs at Richard Nader's oldies show at New York's Madison Square Garden.

On a bill with Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley, he neglected some early hits, causing the crowd to yell abuse and stamp their feet. Nelson walked offstage and later penned the million-selling Garden Party - a song inspired by the event.

Nelson died when a plane carrying him and his band caught fire and crashed on 31 December 1985, killing the 45-year-old singer, his 27-year-old fiancée, Helen Blair, soundman Clark Russell (35), guitarist Bobby Neal (38), keyboardist Andy Chapin (33), bassist Patrick Woodward (35) and drummer Ricky Intveld (22).

Nelson's twin-engine DC-3 crashed in a cow pasture south of De Kalb, Texas, at approximately 5:15 pm. The pilot, Brad Rank (34) and co-pilot Kenneth Ferguson (40) were both thrown from the plane on impact and survived.

Nelson and his entourage were on their way to a New Year's Eve gig in Dallas. Until the time of his death, he and his band were performing nearly 200 dates a year.

Ricky Nelson was voted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 1986.