In Debt to the Nelsons

“Ricky Nelson: Original Teen Idol,” based on an “unauthorized biography,” is a distorted exploitation of a family I love very much: Ricky Nelson, his brother and his mother and father (“Unbalanced Portrait of ‘Teen Idol’ Rick Nelson in VH1’s Biopic,” by Steve Hochman, Aug. 21).

The Nelsons remain the most decent human beings I have ever known. Those of us who had the good fortune to have worked with them, as I did for five years on “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet,” and to have known them personally know the truth. The truth has already been told in the way this noble family lived their lives privately and conducted themselves in the glare of the spotlight of their incomparable professional careers. As for the true story of Ricky Nelson, he chose to tell it in the music that he picked to record and the songs he wrote.

Personally, I owe Ozzie my life. In 1972, he saved a friend and me from drowning in the waters off Laguna Beach. I also owe him, as many other performers do, for my career. My family owes the Nelsons our gratitude for having been accepted as part of their family.

KENT McCORD

Studio City

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I was fortunate enough to have had the rare pleasure to have been hired by Ozzie Nelson to appear regularly (1961-65) on “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.” They were very caring and involved people. They touched lives, on and off the TV screen, for the better.

It was very sad to see how reckless the “creative” people at VH1 were in depicting how the family (dys)functioned in this tasteless, disrespectful depiction. The only things they got right were the names of Ozzie, Harriet, David and Ricky.

JIMMY HAWKINS

Los Angeles