Matthew and Gunnar Nelson, the identical twin sons of the late Ricky Nelson, will be performing at Streetsboro Family Days on Aug. 1 for a free concert starting at approximately 8:15 p.m. They will be opening for Bucky Covington.

At a concert in Hauppauge, New York, the Nelsons came on stage looking conservative and dignified: They each had short blonde hair and wore black suits with white shirts as they performed their father's rockabilly music.

Addressing a captive audience, Gunnar shouted, "How many of you remember when we used to look like a couple of hot Swedish chicks?"

He was referring to the early 90s, when their act called "Nelson" emerged on the metal music scene projecting a glamour rock image of two serious-looking rock star dudes with identical pretty-boy features adorned by very long and straight blonde hair. Nelson's song "Love and Affection" hit No. 1 in 1990.

Since the 90's, things have changed: Matthew got married, Gunnar moved to Nashville from L.A, they cut their hair, re-vamped their image and began booking their shows as "Ricky Nelson Remembered," a tribute to their famous father who met an untimely death in a 1985 plane crash.

"We never really got a lot of advice from our father," said Gunnar, "but one thing he told us is that we should believe in what we're doing and keep doing it."

Even though Matthew lives in L.A. and Gunnar lives in Nashville, they have been following their father's advice by writing and playing music for their living. Matthew and Gunnar recall their father saying "'You're songwriters first; your songs will set you apart from others,'" and have consequently disciplined themselves to set aside time for writing music whenever they are together on the road.

According to the brothers, their career choice was not supported by their mother, Kristin Harmon, who went through an acrimonious divorce to Ricky Nelson in 1981.

"I think when she looks at us," Matthew said, "she sees our father and is reminded of the troubles and stress his career placed on their marriage."

"But doing what we love to do in spite of that has made us even stronger," said Gunnar.

When they are not working on their music, Gunnar enjoys cooking, collecting vintage guitars, and restoring old homes. Matthew enjoys racing sports cars.

If they were forced to choose another career, Matthew said he would be a race car driver and Gunnar said he would be a television producer.

But a change in career is not on the horizon. The brothers are currently working with Grammy-nominee Chris Isaak and putting together a new band called the "Hollywood Hillbillies."

Looking to the future, the brothers said they would love to someday work with Paul McCartney, who at one time had plans to produce an album with their father.

To so many other musicians, the goal of working with Paul McCartney would simply be a "pipe dream" but for the Nelson brothers, whose family ties make them a member of American Entertainment Royalty, the opportunity to someday work with Sir Paul might actually be part of their birthright. The Nelsons were born the grandsons of Ozzie and Harriet Nelson whose hit television series in the late 50's and early 60's made "Ozzie and Harriet Nelson" household names; they are the sons of Ricky Nelson, the "teenage idol" who had more hits in the '50s and '60s than any other recording artist except Elvis; they are the sons of actress Kristin Harmon, the grandsons of football star and Heisman Trophy Winner Tom Harmon, and the nephews of actor Mark Harmon. The Nelsons are the only family in American Music History with three generations of No. 1 hit songs.

But impressive family geneology aside, when one hears the brothers sing "Just Once More", a song they wrote about missing their father, accompanied only by their acoustic guitars and perfectly-blended harmonies that can only come from two people who entered the world together, it becomes obvious that although "Mama may have and Papa may have," the Nelson brothers definitely "have their own."

They are truly artists in their own right.

Editor's note: This article was provided by Deborah Carothers, Streetsboro Family Days volunteer