Hello Mary Lou
Ricky Nelson, 1961. Solo by James Burton.
Burton's clipped, chicken-picked solo packs country technique into a pop single and shaped generations of Telecaster players.
Hello Mary Lou is a bright pop single, but James Burton's solo is a masterclass in country-inflected rock guitar. Playing a Fender Telecaster, he uses a clipped, chicken-picked technique, snapping the strings to create a sharp, percussive sound. The solo is short and precise, packed with quick bends and crisp phrases that blend country technique with rock and roll energy. Burton's style influenced generations of Telecaster players. Listen for the snappy attack and the small, tight bends that give the solo its bounce, and for how it sits neatly within the song's cheerful arrangement, adding a burst of twangy excitement without ever overwhelming Ricky Nelson's easygoing vocal.
Hello Mary Lou by Ricky Nelson is ranked #253 in our consensus of 79 guitar-solo lists. The solo is played by James Burton and the song was released in 1961. It appears on 1 lists, placing as high as #26 (uDiscover Music).
In our lists
- The Greatest Solo of Every Year — #18
- The 25 Greatest Rock and Roll Guitar Solos — #10
- The 25 Greatest Rockabilly Guitar Solos — #10
Sources
Who played the guitar solo on Hello Mary Lou?
James Burton played the solo on Ricky Nelson's Hello Mary Lou (1961).
What guitar was used on the Hello Mary Lou solo?
A fender telecaster, according to widely reported accounts.
Where does Hello Mary Lou rank among the greatest guitar solos?
#253 in the GreatestSolos consensus of 79 published lists; it appears on 1 of them.