Ricky Nelson, Teenage Idol: The Rise of Hello Mary Lou

“Hello Mary Lou,” performed by Ricky Nelson and released in spring 1961, originally appeared as the B‑side to his No. 1 hit “Travelin’ Man.” Despite its secondary status at first, the song quickly became a massive hit in its own right, peaking at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US and climbing to No. 2 in the UK. Written by Gene Pitney and Cayet Mangiaracina, the track became one of the most enduring songs of Nelson’s early career, featured on his album Rick Is 21

𝐑𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐲 𝐍𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐨𝐧 – 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐋𝐨𝐮

Written by Gene Pitney: The song was penned by Gene Pitney along with Cayet Mangiaracina in 1960. Pitney later found fame as a singer-songwriter, while Mangiaracina was a New Orleans priest turned lyricist

Double-A‑side success: Though initially the flip side to “Travelin’ Man,” Hello Mary Lou charted high on its own—No. 9 on Billboard and No. 2 in the UK—and hit No. 1 in Norway and Denmark, with a five-month chart run in Sweden

Instrumental fame: Guitarist James Burton’s driving solo is often cited by later guitar legends—such as Queen’s Brian May—as being highly influential

Global covers: The song was later covered by Creedence Clearwater Revival, Led Zeppelin (in a live medley during Whole Lotta Love performances), and Queen during their 1986 Magic Tour

Nelson’s golden era: From 1957 to 1962, Nelson amassed 30 Top‑40 hits—second only to Elvis Presley and Pat Boone in that period. Hello Mary Lou secured his reputation as one of rock & roll’s first teen idols

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