GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — Nearly 40 years after his final bow, the legendary musician and actor Ricky Nelson is being remembered in the town where he gave his last performance.
A new documentary, Rick Nelson: Guntersville, will premiere on Sunday, September 14 at 7 p.m. Central at the Pizza Ed building – 373 Gunter Ave in Guntersville – formerly the club PJs Alley where Nelson played his last two shows in 1985.
The documentary is produced by CK Film & Entertainment and directed by Kenny Scott Guffey, who says the project is deeply personal.
“I’ve always been a lifelong Rick Nelson fan,” Guffey said. “When I visited Guntersville in the summer of 2024, I realized the final show Rick performed at PJs Alley is not something you typically see or hear about in the Nelson lore. It’s treated as almost an insignificant footnote in his story, and I wanted to capture these locations and people while they were still with us.”
Nelson, known for hits like Travelin’ Man and his role on The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, played two shows at PJs Alley in 1985. The next day, on New Year’s Eve, he boarded a DC-3 at Guntersville Airport. That flight tragically ended in a crash, claiming his life at just 45.
The film crew spent extensive time in Guntersville earlier this year, shooting on location where Nelson lived out his final days.
“Most interviews were shot inside the Pizza Ed building, right on the stage where Rick performed,” Guffey explained. “We also filmed at the Guntersville Airport, which of course was the last place Rick ever touched earth before he boarded that plane.”
Guffey even filmed part of the documentary inside Nelson’s hotel room.
“It was the very last room he ever slept in,” Guffey said. “I stayed there during production and we give a small tour of the room and its view overlooking Guntersville Lake.”
The documentary also highlights Guntersville’s role in Nelson’s final days. Many interviews were conducted with locals who attended the shows or knew Nelson personally. Actress Tuesday Knight (Nightmare on Elm Street 4) and her mother Dorothy were the only interview subjects filmed outside of Guntersville.
The project came together with the help of Guntersville liaison Sara Watkins, who coordinated interviews and filming locations.
“Sara really made the project even better than we had initially envisioned,” Guffey said.
The premiere screening on September 14 will take place on the very stage where Nelson performed. The event is free and open to the public, featuring a red carpet, photo opportunities, and a Q&A with the filmmakers following the screening.
“This is a night to celebrate Rick, and also to celebrate Guntersville, music, and Alabama history,” Guffey said.
Ricky Nelson was inducted to the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 by John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival.
According to Billboard in 1958, when the Billboard Hot 100 debuted Ricky Nelson was no. 1 with Poor Little Fools. He also had 44 songs chart on the Billboard Hot 100, with 14 top 10 hits and 2 number 1 hits: Traveler Man and Poor Little Fools.
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