Marijohn Wilkin
| Marijohn Wilkin | |
|---|---|
Promotional photo
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| Background information | |
| Born |
July 14, 1920 Kemp, Texas, United States |
| Origin | Nashville, Tennessee, United States |
| Died | October 28, 2006 (aged 86) Nashville, Tennessee |
| Genres | Gospel music, country, Christian music |
| Occupation(s) | Songwriter |
| Instruments | Guitar |
| Years active | 1958 – 2006 |
| Labels | Jordan Records |
Marijohn Wilkin (July 14, 1920 – October 28, 2006), née Melson, was an American songwriter, famous in the country music genre for writing a number of hits. Wilkin won numerous awards over the years and was referred to as "The Den Mother of Music Row," as chronicled in her 1978 biography from Word Books--Lord, Let Me Leave a Song (authored with Darryl E. Hicks), honored as “One of the 100 Most Important Books about Nashville’s Music Industry!”
Wilkin was born in Kemp, Texas and raised in Sanger, north of Dallas. She became a teacher, and was widowed when her husband Bedford Russell was killed in World War II. She remarried in 1946, with one son; her 1950 marriage to Art Wilkin, Jr. was her third.
Her father, a baker, had been a fiddle player. From 1955 she toured with Red Foley, and in 1956 her songs were recorded by Mitchell Torok and Wanda Jackson. In 1958 she moved to Nashville, and had major hits, written with John D. Loudermilk, for Stonewall Jackson (the number one country hit "Waterloo", which also made the pop top ten) and Jimmy C. Newman.
Wilkin also wrote "The Long Black Veil" for Lefty Frizzell (with Danny Dill), the classic "Cut Across Shorty" for Eddie Cochran, and "I Just Don't Understand" which became a pop hit for Ann-Margret and was covered by The Beatles. Although she was primarily a country songwriter, her songs have been recorded by several pop and rock acts, including Rod Stewart and Mick Jagger. Wilkin herself also recorded occasionally for Columbia Records and Dot Records in the 1960s and at times worked as a background vocalist. She is billed simply as "Marijohn" on a few of her recordings. On DOT records she also recorded under the name "Romi Spain."
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