John Buck Wilkin

Last updated

John "Buck" Wilkin
John Buck Wilkin.jpg
Wilkin in 1970
Background information
Also known asBucky Wilkin, Ronny Dayton
BornApril 26th, 1946
Tulsa, Oklahoma, US
DiedApril 6, 2024(2024-04-06) (aged 77)
Linden, Tennessee, US
GenresPop, rock, folk
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar
Years active1960s–2024
Labels Liberty Records, United Artists Records

John William "Buck" Wilkin (April 26, 1946 - April 6th, 2024) was an American singer-songwriter and session musician. Wilkin started his career as a child on the Ozark Jubilee television program with Brenda Lee. His mother, songwriter Marijohn Wilkin, later moved the family to Nashville, Tennessee, where she started the publishing company Buckhorn Music. Wilkin and Buckhorn Music had a hit in 1964 with his original composition "GTO", which he recorded as a member of Ronny & the Daytonas and was frequently covered by groups such as The Beach Boys and The Hondells.

Contents

By 1970, Wilkin started his solo career with the album In Search of Food, Clothing, Shelter and Sex ; a year later he would later appear in Dennis Hopper's The Last Movie and on its soundtrack. He later worked as a session musician for the recordings of several artists as a guitar player. In the 1990s, with the resurgence of his band and "GTO", Wilkin returned to perform with Ronny & the Daytonas.

Early life

John William "Buck" Wilkin was born on April 26, 1946, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the son of songwriter Marijohn Wilkin and Sam Frevert. The couple divorced soon after his birth and she married Art Wilkin, Jr. [1] [2] [3] His mother was a country music songwriter and a teacher. [4] When he was eight years old, Wilkin was discovered by a scout of the Ozark Jubilee while he was singing at the Rialto Theater in Tulsa. [5] The family then moved to Springfield, Missouri, for him to appear in the show, where he worked with Brenda Lee. [4] He appeared at the Junior Ozark Jubilee on ABC-TV, while he also often performed at The Uncle Hiram Show on KVOO-TV. [5] After agent Lucky Moeller heard Wilkin's mother playing the piano at a bar, he convinced her to move to Nashville. [4] There she worked as a pianist in Printer's Alley while her son was signed to a management contract with Jim Denny. [6] Marijohn Wilkin then worked at the Cedarwood Publishing Company for Denny until he died in 1963. In 1964, she started the publishing company Buckhorn Music with Bill Justis. [4]

Recording career

As a teenager, Wilkin played rock and roll at roller rinks with the band The Majestics. [7] He was inspired during a physics class in high school to write the song "GTO". [8] During the process, Wilkin contacted Pontiac for recommendations regarding the lyrics: Promotion and advertising worker Jim Wangers would later state that he saw the song as a "2-minute and 20-second commercial for Pontiac". [9] Marijohn Wilkin liked the composition, and through her connections in the industry she arranged a recording session with Nashville musicians which took place at the Monument Records studio. [8] [7] To profit from the success of surf music, Wilkin sang under the pseudonym of Ronny Dayton in the band Ronny & the Daytonas under the management of Justis. [10]

In the summer of 1964, the group released "GTO". [10] The song became the first hit record for Buckhorn Music. [11] It reached number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, [12] while it reached number 5 on the Cashbox Singles Chart . [13] With the success of the song, Wilkin went on a tour of the East Coast lip-syncing, and he then went on a USO tour to Asia. Still a high school student at the time, he was exhausted by the demanding routine. [7] While Wilkin made the recordings with his band, the Memphis, Tennessee, group The Hombres presented themselves on tour as Ronny & the Daytonas. [14] The band's next top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 appeared in January 1966 with "Sandy", at number 2. [12] Wilkin also recorded with Buzz Cason as "Buzz and Bucky", with "The Statues", "The American Eagles" and with "Garry Miles". Wilkin appeared on Billboard's Bubbling Under Hot 100 with "Tiger-A-Go-Go", "Somebody to Love Me" and "I'll Think of the Summer" between 1965 and 1966. [15] Ronny & the Daytonas did not have a fixed lineup, as the band consisted of Wilkin's friends depending on their availability. [16]

In 1965, Wilkin met singer-songwriter Kris Kristofferson. Through his platoon leader, Donald Kelsey, Kristofferson was directed to send his songs to Wilkin's mother. In August 1965, John Wilkin picked up Kristofferson at the Nashville Airport to head to Buckhorn Music, where he became the first artist signed by the publisher. [17] In the late 1960s, Wilkin shared an apartment with Kristofferson where they often took part in guitar pulls with other aspiring songwriters. [18] In 1970, Wilkin released his debut solo album on Liberty Records: In Search of Food, Clothing, Shelter and Sex , recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio and in Nashville. [19] The next year, he published the LP Buck Wilkin on United Artists Records. [20] Kristofferson later introduced Wilkin to director Dennis Hopper, who invited him to take part on his production of The Last Movie filmed on location in Peru. [7] [21] Songs by Wilkin were featured on the soundtrack of The Last Movie, [22] as well as on the 1971 accompanying documentary of the making of the film, The American Dreamer . [23] Following the production of the movie, Wilkin enrolled at Vanderbilt where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English. [7]

Wilkin played the guitar as a session musician in Nashville for several artists including Waylon Jennings, Kinky Friedman, and Jessie Colter. [24] [25] During the late 1990s, with the appearance of the oldies radio format Wilkin returned to perform with the Daytonas in 1997 and by 1999, "GTO" reached a million plays on the radio. [7] In the 2000s through the 2020s, Wilkin uploaded the demos of his new songs to his personal website. [26]

Personal life

Wilkin was an only child and he was never married. During his later years, he lived in an RV park in Hickman County, Tennessee. On April 6, 2024, Wilkin died near Linden, Tennessee. [27] He was buried at Woodlawn Memorial Park in Nashville. [28]

Discography

Albums

YearAlbumLabel
1970 In Search of Food, Clothing, Shelter and Sex Liberty Records
1971Buck Wilkin United Artists Records

Related Research Articles

Ronny & the Daytonas were an American surf rock group, whose members included John "Bucky" Wilkin, Paul Jensen, Thomas Ramey, Lynn Williams (drums), and Lee Kraft (guitar), with contributions from others such as Larry Butler (organ), Ronny Clark, and Buzz Cason.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gentle on My Mind</span> 1967 song by John Hartford

"Gentle on My Mind" is a song that was written and originally recorded by John Hartford, and released on his second studio album, Earthwords & Music (1967). Hartford wrote the song after watching Doctor Zhivago in 1966, as he was inspired by the film and his own personal experiences. The lyrics describe the reminiscences of lost love of a man as he travels through the country. An obituary for Hartford indicated that the lyrics are "about a hobo reminiscing about a lost love". The following year, Hartford released the song as a single on RCA Records.

<i>The Silver Tongued Devil and I</i> 1971 studio album by Kris Kristofferson

The Silver Tongued Devil and I is the second studio album recorded by singer-songwriter Kris Kristofferson. It was produced by Fred Foster, released in July 1971 on Monument Records and followed his critically acclaimed debut Kristofferson.

<i>Kristofferson</i> (album) Album by Kris Kristofferson

Kristofferson is the debut album by the singer-songwriter Kris Kristofferson. It was produced by Fred Foster and released in June 1970 by Monument Records. After working a series of temporary jobs, Kristofferson became a helicopter pilot for oil companies in the Gulf of Mexico. While he worked, he wrote songs and pitched them to singers around Music Row in Nashville, Tennessee during his free time. Kristofferson's songs were recorded by country singers Roy Drusky, Jerry Lee Lewis and Roger Miller and later he persuaded Johnny Cash to try his material. Cash invited Kristofferson to perform with him at the Newport Folk Festival, after which Fred Foster signed Kristofferson to Monument Records as a songwriter and recording artist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Help Me Make It Through the Night</span> 1970 country song by Kris Kristofferson

"Help Me Make It Through the Night" is a country ballad written and composed by Kris Kristofferson and released on his 1970 album Kristofferson. It was covered later in 1970 by Sammi Smith, on the album Help Me Make It Through the Night. It has been covered since by many other artists from Tammy Wynette and Johnny Cash to Elvis Presley and Joan Baez and Bryan Ferry and Mark Eitzel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marijohn Wilkin</span> American songwriter

Marijohn Wilkin was an American songwriter, famous in country music for writing a number of hits such as "One Day At a Time" and "The Long Black Veil". Wilkin won numerous awards over the years and was referred to as "The Den Mother of Music Row," as chronicled in her 1978 biography Lord, Let Me Leave a Song. It was honored as “One of the 100 Most Important Books about Nashville’s Music Industry.”

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Beckham</span> American country music publisher and singer (1927–2013)

Robert Joseph Beckham was an American country music publisher based in Nashville, who mentored generations of songwriters as head of Combine Music Publishing from 1964 to 1989. He played a pivotal role in the career of Kris Kristofferson and guided other artists including Dolly Parton, Larry Gatlin, Tony Joe White and Billy Swan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tompall & the Glaser Brothers</span> American country music group

Tompall & the Glaser Brothers were an American country music group composed of three brothers: Chuck, Jim, and Tompall Glaser. The Glaser Brothers started singing together at country fairs and contests in and around the Spalding area when they were preteens. In 1957, the group got their big break when they appeared on the Arthur Godfrey's Talent Show and attracted the attention of several well known country stars, including Marty Robbins.

The Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) is a 501(c) not-for-profit trade organization that works to help songwriters in three ways: through legislative advocacy, through education and advice about the actual craft of songwriting, and through teaching about the music industry, and how to best position a song for success within it. They own the Bluebird Cafe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slippin' Away (Jean Shepard song)</span> 1973 single by Jean Shepard

"Slippin' Away" is a song written by American singer-songwriter Bill Anderson and was originally recorded by American country singer Jean Shepard. Inspired to write the song while watching an old film, Shepard chose to the song to record and it was released as her first single for the United Artists label in 1973. It became her first top ten US country song in several years and was issued on an album of the same name.

"Waterloo" was a number-one hit for country singer Stonewall Jackson in 1959. It was written by John D. Loudermilk and Marijohn Wilkin.

"For the Good Times" is a song written by Kris Kristofferson, first recorded by singer Bill Nash in 1968 before appearing on Kristofferson's own debut album in June 1970. After a recording by Ray Price became a #1 hit single in June of that year, the song established Kristofferson as one of country and popular music's top songwriters while giving Price his first chart-topping country and western song in 11 years.

"Lovin' Her Was Easier " is a song written, composed, first recorded, and first released by Kris Kristofferson. It was also recorded and released by Roger Miller, who included it on his album The Best of Roger Miller and released it as a single in July 1971. Ten years later, it was recorded by Tompall & the Glaser Brothers for the album Lovin' Her Was Easier.

<i>Stonewall Jacksons Greatest Hits</i> 1965 greatest hits album by Stonewall Jackson

Stonewall Jackson's Greatest Hits is a 1965 compilation album by country musician Stonewall Jackson. The album peaked at number 20 on Billboard's country music chart.

"G.T.O." is a song written by John Buck Wilkin and first recorded as the 1964 debut single of his band, Ronny & the Daytonas. It was also featured on their album of the same name. The single reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on September 26, 1964, and sold over one million copies, which resulted in it being awarded a gold disc. The song reached No. 7 in Canada. It was produced by Bill Justis. The song's lyrics extol the performance of the Pontiac GTO and express the singer's desire to purchase that particular car.

<i>G.T.O.</i> (album) 1964 studio album by Ronny & the Daytonas

G.T.O. is the debut studio album by American band Ronny & the Daytonas, and was released in 1964 on Mala Records, MALA 4001.

<i>Cross Country</i> (Webb Pierce album) 1962 studio album by Webb Pierce

Cross Country is an album by Webb Pierce that was released in 1960 on the Decca label. AllMusic gave the album four-and-a-half stars.

<i>For the Good Times</i> (Ray Price album) 1970 studio album by Ray Price

For the Good Times is a studio album by country music artist Ray Price. It was released in 1970 by Columbia Records.

<i>Nashville Women</i> 1967 studio album by Hank Locklin

Nashville Women is a studio album by American country singer–songwriter Hank Locklin. It was released in August 1967 via RCA Victor Records and was produced by Chet Atkins. Nashville Women was Locklin's sixteenth studio recording and contained 12 tracks. Three of the album's tracks were singles that became minor hits on the country chart in 1967. The album itself would also chart following its release. Nashville Women would receive positive reviews from critics and music publications.

<i>In Search of Food, Clothing, Shelter and Sex</i> 1970 studio album by John Buck Wilkin

In Search of Food Clothing Shelter and Sex is the debut solo album by American singer-songwriter John Buck Wilkin, released on Liberty Records in June 1970. The collection of songs includes compositions penned by Wilkin, covers, and a song co-written with Kris Kristofferson. The release received scarce reviews that mostly favored Wilkin.

References

Citations

Sources

  • Baumgold, Julie (September 21, 1970). "Best Bets". The New Yorker. Vol. 3, no. 18. ISSN   0028-7369 . Retrieved September 5, 2023– via Google Books. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  • Billboard staff (August 29, 1970). "From the Music Capitals of the World". Billboard. Vol. 82, no. 35. Retrieved September 13, 2023– via Google Books. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  • Billboard staff (May 22, 1971a). "Special Merit Picks". Billboard. Vol. 83, no. 21. Retrieved September 13, 2023– via Google Books. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  • Billboard staff (November 20, 1971b). "New LP/Tape Releases". Billboard. Vol. 83, no. 47. Retrieved September 13, 2023– via Google Books. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  • Brennan, Sandra (2023). "Marijohn Wilkin Biography by Sandra Brennan". Allmusic. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  • Burt, Rob (1986). Surf City, Drag City . Sterling Publishing. ISBN   0-7137-1890-0 . Retrieved September 11, 2023– via Archive.org.
  • Dignity Memorial staff (2024). "John Wilkin Obituary - Nashville, TN". Dignitymemorial.com. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
  • Grant, Bettye (August 15, 1945). "Society". Okmulgee Daily Times. Vol. 37, no. 123. Okmulgee, Oklahoma. Retrieved October 24, 2023– via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  • Hoffmann, Frank (1983). The Cash box singles charts, 1950-1981 . Scarecrow Press. ISBN   0-8108-1595-8 . Retrieved September 11, 2023– via Archive.org.
  • Hundley, Jessica; Thomas, Pat (August 28, 2020). "Dennis Hopper's Legendary 'Last Movie' Finally Gets a Soundtrack Album, Five Decades Later, Via Record Store Day". Variety. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
  • Ingrassia, Paul (2012). Engines of change : a history of the American dream in fifteen cars . Simon & Schuster. ISBN   978-1-4516-4063-2 . Retrieved September 11, 2023– via Archive.org.
  • Kingsbury, Paul; McCall, Michael; Rumble, John (1998). The Encyclopedia of Country Music. Oxford University Press. ISBN   978-0-19-517608-7.
  • Larkin, Colin (1998). The encyclopedia of popular music . Vol. 4. muze. ISBN   1-56159-237-4 . Retrieved September 11, 2023– via Archive.org.
  • Leszczak, Bob (2015). Encyclopedia of pop music aliases, 1950-2000. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN   978-1-4422-4007-0 . Retrieved September 11, 2023.
  • Lopate, Mitchell (2000). "Hallucination Verification John Wyker and Mighty Field of Vision" . Retrieved September 12, 2023.
  • Maples, Bill (June 27, 1958). "Impollos' Combo Just Came About". The Tenneseean. Vol. 52, no. 62. Retrieved September 11, 2023– via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  • Oermann, Robert K. (February 14, 1999). "Wilkin and Daytonas notch a million miles on 'G.T.O.'". The Tennessean. Vol. 95, no. 45. Retrieved September 12, 2023– via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  • Oermann, Robert K. (April 15, 2024). "Bucky Wilkin Of Ronny & The Daytonas Passes". Music Row. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
  • Reuters staff (January 19, 2007). ""Long Black Veil" songwriter dies in Nashville". Reuters. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
  • Streissguth, Michael (2013). Outlaw: Waylon, Willie, Kris, and the Renegades of Nashville. Harper Collins. ISBN   978-0-062-03820-3.
  • Sullivan, Mary Lou (2017). Everything's Bigger in Texas: The Life and Times of Kinky Friedman. Backbeat Books. ISBN   978-1-540-00499-4.
  • Tulsa World staff (June 17, 1956). "Ozark Jubilee Calls Tulsan". Tulsa Sunday World Magazine. Vol. 51, no. 278. Tulsa World. Retrieved September 11, 2023– via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  • Whitburn, Joel (1983). The Billboard book of top 40 hits, 1955 to present . Billboard Publications. ISBN   0-8230-7511-7 . Retrieved September 11, 2023– via Archive.org.
  • Whitburn, Joel (1985). Joel Whitburn's bubbling under the hot 100, 1959-1985 . Billboard Publications. ISBN   0-89820-082-2 . Retrieved September 11, 2023– via Archive.org.
  • Whitburn, Joel (2009). Joel Whitburn's Music Stars: Brief Bios of Every Recording Artist who Ever Charted. H. Leonard Corporation. ISBN   978-0-898-20176-5.
  • Wilkin, John Buck (2021). "Music". Archived from the original on May 6, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.