Colorado’s Country Belle!
WE ARE PROUD TO INDUCT BONNIE NELSON INTO THE POP BOP ROCK HONOR ROLL!
Bonnie Nelson was born in Denver, Colorado on April 11th, 1949. Bonnie would attend Douglas County High School where she was a cheerleader, graduating in 1967.
While growing up in Colorado she began performing in talent contests and stage productions. She took an interest in singing and in 1963 began appearing in night clubs with performers Lucky Lee and Johnny Cummings.
Some of her early appearances included the Wolhurst Country Club at age 16 and appearing on TV specials for the “Centekor Drug Benefit”. In 1967 she won the World Champion Senior Girls Calf Roper title and that same year won Miss Colorado High School Queen. (See the biography below for many more details).
Next she signed on to the Rocky Mountain Jamboree where she worked with DJ and musician Buster Jenkins for about one year. During that time she would appear with many national country stars and also with Colorado’s country singer/guitar player Jerry Street as well as Denver’s Band Box label recording artists Jim McGraw and Dewey Knight.
As a mid-teen, Bonnie performed regularly at the Wolhurst Club located in Littleton. In 1965 she would team up with Achilles and Frank as a trio. Those two would later form the “F.A.B. Company” in the later 1960s with another Bonnie – Bonnie Ellison who ironically went to the same high school as Nelson.
Bonnie’s father, Roy Nelson, built the Country Palace to showcase the talents of his daughter.
In 1972 Bonnie and singing partner Bob Britton and his backing band “The Playboys” won the “Pappy Dave Stone Talent Contest” sponsored by radio station KPIK in Colorado Springs. That would earn the duo the prize of appearing on Nashville’s “Grand Ole Opry on September 1st, 1972.
Nashville record executive Kelso Herston was duly impressed and would sign Bonnie to a 5-year contract.
While in Nashville Bonnie would meet and perform with many country luminaries including Del Reeves, Freddie Hart, George Morgan and Rex Allen to name a few.
Bonnie Nelson Publicity Photos
Bonnie Nelson Discography
LP Squire 6101 – Bonnie Nelson – 1976
LP Hop A Long 110 – Good Nights Make Good Mornings – 1977
LP Hop A Long 111 – Live At the Country Palace – 1977
LP – NR 16041 -16041 – Bonnie Nelson
45 – United Artists 221 – Got Me A Feelin’ b/w Lonely Is – 1973
45 United Artists 305- California b/w He Sure Knows How To Love – 1973
45 United Artists 420 – (You’ve Got To) Think Like A Woman b/w I Can’t Say No To Love – 1974
45 Squire 101-4 – Without You b/w Love Me Like You Mean It – 1976
45 – Squire 101-6- Lucky Chicago b/w Wheel of Fortune – 1976
45 – Hop A Long HL-2 – Good Nights Make Good Mornings b/w Late Night Romance – 1977
45 – Hop A Long HL-3 – I’ll Give Up (When You Give Up On Me) b/w Wayward Wind – 1977
45 Hop A Long HL-4 – The Good End of Goodbye b/w Bronco Mania – 1978
45 Hop A Long HL-6 – Love From A Woman’s Point Of View b/w Truck Driving Man – 1978
45 Hop-A-Long NR-14929 – Video Lover b/w Cry Baby
45 Door Knob 221 – Ladies Man b/w You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling – 1984
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