"HELLO MARY LOU" A song written by U.S. singer Gene Pitney, first recorded by Johnny Duncan in 1960, and later by Ricky Nelson in 1961. Nelson's version, issued as a double A-side with his No. 1 hit "Travelin' Man", (Imperial 5741), reached No. 9 on the Billboard music charts on May 28, 1961. In the United Kingdom, where it was released as an A-side (with "Travelin' Man" as the B-side), it reached No. 2. It was also a hit in much of Europe, particularly Norway, where it spent 14 weeks at No. 1.