The Nelson Twins Set the Record Straight: ‘What Happened to Your Hair?’ Drops the Full Story of Legacy, Hits, and Hard-Won Resilience

By Paul Salfen, Christine Thompson for AMFM Magazine

Matthew and Gunnar Nelson have spent decades fielding the same question: What happened to the hair? The identical twins—seventh-generation entertainers, grandsons of TV icons Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, twin sons of Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Ricky Nelson—exploded onto the scene in 1990 as NELSON, their long blonde locks and harmony-driven power ballads defining the tail end of the hair metal era. Now, with their self-penned memoir What Happened to Your Hair? How We Played Loud… Loved Proud… and Never Backed Down… Together (Permuted Press), released December 16, 2025, the brothers are finally telling their unfiltered story.

Here are the twins in recent years, still carrying that unbreakable bond and signature spirit:

The 400-page book, written entirely in their own voices (they scrapped a ghostwriter because the drafts felt too robotic), dives deep into the family’s storied legacy. On their mother’s side, they’re grandsons of Heisman Trophy winner Tom Harmon and actress Elyse Knox, with uncle Mark Harmon (NCIS fame) and aunt Kelly Harmon (the original Tic Tac model). The Nelsons have been inducted into the Scandinavian Hall of Fame, joining their grandparents and father. But fame’s double-edged sword is the real thread—blessings, curses, tragedies, and triumphs.

The breakthrough came with their debut album After the Rain (1990), which went double-platinum. The lead single “(Can’t Live Without Your) Love and Affection” topped the Billboard Hot 100 on September 29, 1990, securing the family’s Guinness World Record as the only one with No. 1 hits across three generations. It outshone contemporaries like Vanilla Ice’s “Ice Ice Baby” (which hit No. 1 later that fall) in a year of diverse chart-toppers.

Relive the ’90s glory days when NELSON ruled MTV with those iconic looks and hooks:

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The song became a cultural staple, featured in Adam Sandler’s Sandy Wexler (Netflix), while “After the Rain” appeared in HBO’s Righteous Gemstones. From Blossom and Parker Lewis Can’t Lose to Party Down, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and beyond, the Nelsons have popped up in dialogue across TV for decades.

The book doesn’t shy from the rough patches: the 1985 plane crash that killed their father Ricky, family fractures, industry betrayals that left them broke despite millions generated, and constant “nepo baby” skepticism. Yet they emphasize resilience, humor, and brotherhood. They wrote, produced, and funded their own way—proving talent over pedigree.

The official book cover captures the cheeky, self-aware vibe:

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What Happened to Your Hair?: How We Played Loud… Loved Proud …

Fresh momentum arrived with their cameo in HBO’s Peacemaker Season 2 finale (“Full Nelson,” a deliberate nod), where they performed “To Get Back To You” (from their 2010 album Lightning Strikes Twice). James Gunn directed the music video himself, blending show footage with their performance—check the Rolling Stone coverage for the full scoop on this unexpected, fan-favorite moment.

In an era where MTV was king, the twins dominated with four No. 1 videos, appearances on Saturday Morning Videos, Dick Clark specials, American Music Awards, Arsenio Hall, and the inaugural Billboard Music Awards. From 1990–1992, their faces were everywhere—People, Metal Edge, Teen Beat, 16 Magazine.

What Happened to Your Hair? isn’t just nostalgia; it’s a testament to enduring through it all. As the brothers write, it’s about gratitude, never quitting, and appreciating the ride. For fans old and new, this is the definitive Nelson chapter—proof that legacy isn’t handed down; it’s fought for, one harmony at a time. Grab the book, stream the hits, and see why these twins are still playing loud and loving proud.