Nelson, Ricky
Rick Is 21
The sixth album released by Ricky Nelson and the first with the shortened artist credit Rick Nelson, this was in an attempt to show that Rick was now an adult and therefore his repertoire would be aimed at a more adult audience. Arranger Jimmie Haskell and Rick therefore set out with the express intention of finding more mature material, a search that took them to the portfolio of Gene Pitney, Dorsey Burnette and Johnny Rivers, among others. Hello Mary Lou and Travelin Man became the big hit singles, both peaking inside the Top Ten of the Hot 100 in America (Travelin Man was a chart topper as well) and hit #2 in the UK when combined for single release. The album was particularly well received in America, where it went on to become his third Top Ten success.