Ozzie Nelson was an American actor, director, producer, screenwriter, and band leader, best known for starring in and writing the popular sitcom ‘The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.’ Born and raised in New Jersey, Ozzie pursued a law degree in college and simultaneously played saxophone in a band to earn pocket money. During the era of the Great Depression, Ozzie took to music. Even after getting rejected quite a few times, he was determined and formed ‘The Ozzie Nelson Band.’ In 1930, the band was offered a contract by the label ‘Brunswick,’ and in the next decade, ‘The Ozzie Nelson Band’ became a nationwide phenomenon. In the 1940s, Ozzie ventured into films, starting with the 1941 film ‘Sweetheart of the Campus.’ He also did many short films around this time, mostly for promoting his band. In 1952, he produced and starred in the sitcom ‘The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet,’ which was formerly a successful radio show. Following the sitcom’s immense success, he wrote more shows, such as ‘Ozzie’s Girls’ and ‘Bridget Loves Bernie.’ He died of liver cancer at the age of 69.
