When Harriet met Ozzie, she was still legally married. During her time dancing at the Cotton Club, Harriet (who was then still known as Peggy Lou) was married to a comedian named Roy Sedley. the pair married in 1930. Harriet was only 21 at the time, with Roy 9 years her senior.
Harriet soon saw that hanging around an older crowd wasn’t all just fun, games, and clubbing. Roy was reportedly abusive towards Harriet during their entire marriage. After one year of a lousy marriage, the two separated. In 1933, the pair divorced. While these were probably some dark days for Harriet, she was lucky to meet Ozzie and have her entire life turn around. As they say, the rest is history.
Ozzie Fell in Love With a Showgirl
After their Ozzie’s band experienced their big break in 1930, the Ozzie Nelson Band were signed to record several labels with Brunswick, Vocalion, Bluebird, and Victor. During this time, there was a vaudeville actress named Peggy Lou Snyder who was experiencing her own success in New York City. When Ozzie and Peggy's paths crossed, Ozzie was determined to recruit Peggy to be a part of his band.
He hired her to perform with his band and Peggy changed her name to Harriet Hilliard. Fans went crazy over Harriet's perky vocals which combined beautifully with Nelson's effortless and carefree voice. Harriet contributed to the bad skyrocketing to success. In 1935, the band had a number one hit with "And Then Some." The song was in the number one spot on the U.S. pop singles chart for an entire week.
Harriet Nelson
Harriet Nelson was born as Peggy Lou Snyder in Des Moines, Iowa. Born into a theatrical family, she made her acting debut at the ripe age of three when she first appeared on the vaudeville stage. By her teenage years, the actress was already appearing on Broadway and spending time with a crowd much older than her. This led her to the New York City club scene where she picked up smoking at age 13 and dropped out of high school.
After leaving school, she joined the Corps de Ballet at the Capitol Theater. She later danced in the Harry Carroll Revue as well as worked as a straight woman for comedians Ken Murray and Bert Lahr. Shortly after this gig, she would join Ozzie's band and help bring nationwide success to their band. The two would eventually tie the knot three years later. But, Ozzie wasn't Harriet's first rodeo.
Ozzie and Harriet Get Married
When Ozzie and Harriet started performing together, it was obvious that their blended personalities were the perfect match for each other on stage. Harriet was energetic and clever. Ozzie, on the other hand, was cool and laid-back. Their chemistry on stage was obvious to anybody who came to watch them.
However, their on-stage relationship wasn't the only budding relationship. Off the stage, the two couldn't deny their feelings for one another. In 1935, three years after Ozzie hired Harriet to sing in his band, they decided to make their relationship as official as it gets. By the 1950s, they were undeniably America's perfect fantasy couple.
Success on the Silver Screen
Ozzie Nelson and his band proceeded to appear in several feature films and short subjects in the 40s, adding their glamour to the big screen in such musicals like Sweetheart of the Campus, Strictly in the Groove, Take It Big and Honeymoon Lodge . They also had appearances as independent characters, like in Hi, Good Lookin.' Despite their performances on the silver screen, they are most known for their broadcasting initiatives.
In the 1940s, Ozzie started to look for a way to spend more time with his family, especially with his young sons. He and Harriet became regular guests on the legendary, The Red Skelton Show, an American comedy and variety show which was hosted by entertainer Richard Bernard “Red” Skelton. This would set the foundation for the couple to later have their own show, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, which Ozzie developed and produced by himself.