PALM COAST, Fla. – Before there were the Kardashians, there was The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, a show that helped define the American family for generations. Today, that legacy shines brightest during the holidays, carried forward by Matthew and Gunnar Nelson—third-generation entertainers from one of the only families in show business to earn three successive generations of No. 1 hitmakers.

The Nelson family’s history is filled with charm and tradition. Even twinship runs deep in their lineage: their grandmother Harriet, beloved star of Ozzie and Harriet, was the daughter of a twin herself. Her mother performed in a Vaudevillian duo, Hazel and Hattie (The McNutt Sisters), at the turn of the 20th century. That sense of continuity, connection, and shared spirit becomes the heartbeat of the Nelsons’ holiday show.

They rose to fame in the 1990s, and Matthew and Gunnar remain as magnetic as ever—seasoned artists who blend nostalgia with heartfelt storytelling. Their upcoming book, “What Happened to Your Hair?”, set for hardback release on December 16 through Amazon, is a playful nod to their signature platinum look. The first 1,000 copies will be personally signed and include a special edition LP, perfectly timed for the holidays.

In a recent interview with Flagler News Weekly, Gunnar Nelson reflected on how deeply music and family have always intertwined for the Nelsons.

“When we were growing up, music was THE thing. Music was the whole point. We got excited when our favorite act had a new record coming out, we would go down to the record store when there was such a thing.”

Music, for the Nelsons, has always been a source not only of livelihood but of comfort, meaning, and togetherness.

“Our whole lives… music was always the throughline to our family. Always.”

Their holiday production, An Ozzie and Harriet Christmas with The Nelsons, brings that tradition to life in a warm celebration across generations. The show arrives at the Fitzgerald Performing Arts Center on Sunday, December 7 at 7:00 p.m., inviting families to share an evening steeped in nostalgia, laughter, and the magic of Christmas.

The Christmas Show …

The Nelsons have long established their place in holiday music. Their original song “This Christmas” charted Top 5 on Billboard two years in a row—first performed by the twins and later re-released in a version featuring Carney and Wendy Wilson of Wilson Phillips.

“We’ve got some pretty serious Christmas cred. I don’t know if you know our background, we actually wrote an original Christmas hit called “This Christmas” and it was Top 5 Billboard two years in a row. The first year was just the two of us singing it, and the second year we redid it with Carnie and Wendy Wilson from Wilson-Phillips, and it scored as well. I’ve got to tell you, writing an original Christmas hit and having it chart like that is really difficult. Our competition isn’t just Warrant, Winger, and Poison, all of the sudden it’s like Bing Crosby, and Nat King Cole. It’s tough,” he said.

Rather than simply adding a few holiday tunes to a regular concert set, the Nelsons built a full Christmas production—designed to feel like stepping inside a living scrapbook of their family history.

“Most people in my position when they say they do a Christmas show, if you’re lucky, they do their normal show and they just kind of smuggle in two or three Christmas classics towards the end. Our whole thing is special. It’s very different, a proprietary show, but it’s really funny and it’s really cool, and the music is really well done,” he said.

“The throughline to the whole thing is we’ve got the greatest home movies in the world. The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet are epic. We tell the story of three Nelson family Christmases, starting with the 20’s and our grandparents when they had a big band, the Ozzie Nelson Orchestra. And then the 50’s with our dad, when he first started singing, and then in the 70’s Matthew and my childhood when Christmas toys were designed to kill you.”

“We actually do a countdown in ours of the most dangerous toys ever unleashed,” he teased.

The show blends humor, warmth, and music into an experience that feels both timeless and refreshingly down-to-earth. It’s a chance to revisit a simpler season—when families gathered around radios, televisions, and holiday records, sharing moments that became lasting memories.

“We look forward to it every year… We get December to go out there and do a completely separate show with our best friends and connect with people and turn into a bunch of kids.”

At the heart of it all is the Nelson philosophy—an approach passed down through generations.

“Our grandmother used to talk to us about this, boys if you do this, you realize you’re not in the entertainment business… we’ve been in the connection business.”

That spirit of connection is what makes the Nelsons’ holiday performance so special. In an age of digital distractions, they create a live, human moment—one filled with music, storytelling, and shared joy.

“It’s a moment. You’re there for a moment. You’re connected to a moment of your humanity,” shared Gunnar. “It’s the greatest job in the world… you’re offering them humanity and you’re offering them connection.”

Their show bridges generations—whether you grew up watching Ozzie and Harriet, listening to Ricky Nelson, or discovering Matthew and Gunnar on MTV.

“The way we did it, it embraces everybody. If you didn’t grow up with that music or those characters, you know them by the end of the show,” shared Gunnar. “It’s this great journey that you’re laughing the entire time you’re digging on the music. With this particular Christmas show, nobody leaves a stranger. It’s the whole spirit of togetherness and being good neighbors and accepting everybody, and all that stuff that Christmas is supposed to be about.”

This December, the Nelsons invite audiences to celebrate family, memories, and the timeless warmth of the holiday season. For one night, everyone becomes part of the Ozzie and Harriet Christmas—past, present, and future.

If You Go:

An Ozzie and Harriet Christmas with The Nelsons

December 7, 2025 at 7:00 PM

Fitzgerald Performing Arts Center

5500 Highway 100, Palm Coast, FL

Tickets: $54-64

www.FlaglerEntertainment.com

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