Marijohn Wilkin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Marijohn Wilkin
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| Background information | |
| Born | July 14, 1920 Kemp, Texas, United States |
| Origin | Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | October 28, 2006 (aged 86) Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Songwriter |
| Instruments | Guitar |
| Years active | 1958 – 2006 |
| Labels | Jordan Records |
Marijohn Wilkin (born Melson; July 14, 1920 – October 28, 2006) was an American songwriter. She became very famous in country music for writing many hit songs. Some of her well-known songs include "One Day At a Time" and "The Long Black Veil."
Marijohn won many awards during her career. People in the music world called her "The Den Mother of Music Row." This nickname showed how important and helpful she was in the Nashville music scene. Her life story was even told in a book called Lord, Let Me Leave a Song. This book was named one of the 100 most important books about Nashville's music industry.
Contents
Marijohn Wilkin's Early Life
Marijohn Wilkin was born in Kemp, Texas, in 1920. Her parents were Ernest and Karla Melson. She grew up in Sanger, Texas, which is north of Dallas. Marijohn became a teacher when she was older. Her father was a baker, but he also played the fiddle. This might have been where Marijohn got her love for music.
Moving to Nashville and First Hits
In 1958, Marijohn moved to Nashville, Tennessee. Nashville is known as the home of country music. Soon after moving, she started writing big hit songs. She wrote these songs with another songwriter named John D. Loudermilk.
One of their first big successes was the song "Waterloo." This song became a number one country hit for Stonewall Jackson. It even made it into the top ten on the pop music charts! She also wrote a hit song for Jimmy C. Newman.
Famous Songs She Wrote
Marijohn Wilkin wrote many popular songs for different artists.
- She wrote "The Long Black Veil" for Lefty Frizzell with Danny Dill.
- She also co-wrote "Cut Across Shorty" for Eddie Cochran.
- Another song, "I Just Don't Understand," became a pop hit for Ann-Margret. Even The Beatles later covered this song!
While Marijohn mainly wrote country songs, her music was also recorded by pop and rock stars. Famous artists like Rod Stewart and Mick Jagger sang her songs. Marijohn also sometimes recorded her own music. She released songs on labels like Columbia Records and Dot Records in the 1960s. Sometimes, she even sang background vocals for other artists. For some of her recordings, she was simply known as Marijohn. On DOT records, she used the name Romi Spain.
"One Day at a Time"
Marijohn Wilkin is perhaps most famous for writing the song "One Day at a Time." Many people consider this to be the biggest gospel song of the 1970s. Marijohn wrote the song in 1973. She got some help from Kris Kristofferson, who she had mentored.
The song won a Dove Award from the Gospel Music Association in 1975. This award is a big honor in gospel music. "One Day at a Time" became a top 20 country song for Marilyn Sellars in 1974. It also reached number 37 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart. The song helped Marijohn start a career as a gospel recording artist herself. She released several albums on Word Records. Later, a new version of the song became a number one country hit for Cristy Lane in 1980. This song has been recorded over 200 times! Even though it was written as a personal worship song, it is also known as one of the "Top 50 Southern Gospel Songs."
Helping Other Songwriters
Marijohn Wilkin was very supportive of new talent. She helped many songwriters get started in the music business. Johnny Duncan and Ed Bruce were two of the many artists she helped.
One famous person she helped was Kris Kristofferson. He was in the army with one of Marijohn's cousins. So, he sent some of his songs to her publishing company, Buckhorn. Marijohn was the first person to publish his songs. One of these songs was "For the Good Times." In 1970, this song became a huge pop and country hit for Ray Price.
Marijohn's Family and Legacy
Marijohn's son, John "Bucky" Wilkin, also became a musician. He was the lead singer of a 1960s surf rock band called Ronny & the Daytonas. Their first song, "G.T.O.," reached number 4 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart in 1964.
In 1975, Marijohn Wilkin was honored for her songwriting. She was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. She also started her own music publishing company called 17th Avenue Music. This company became very successful when its songs were recorded by LeAnn Rimes.
In 2005, Marijohn was recognized by the SOURCE organization. This group honored her as a pioneering businesswoman in Music Row. This was her last big public appearance. Marijohn Wilkin passed away in 2006 at the age of 86.
Discography
Here are some of the albums Marijohn Wilkin released:
- Ballads of the Blue and Gray (Columbia, 1962)
- Country and Western Songs (Columbia Harmony, c. 1963)
- I Have Returned (Word, 1974)
- Isn't it Wonderful (Word, 1975)
- Where I'm Going (Word, 1975)
- Reach Up and Touch God's Hand (Word, 1976)
- Higher Than High (Word, 1977)
- Lord, Leave Me a Song (Word, 1978)
- One Day at a Time (Word, 1980)
- A Little Bit of Jesus (Word, 1981)
