Marijohn Wilkin

Buckhorn Music

Marijohn Wilkin has been a pioneer, mentor and inspiration during her legendary 50+ year career as songwriter, publisher, producer, and performer. A Texas native, Marijohn put herself through Abilene's Hardin-Simmons University, by singing with the school's "Cowboy Band" as its first female member. After a stint teaching music in the Tulsa public school system, she moved to Springfield, Missouri where she joined Red Foley and "Jubilee USA" on NBC-TV. In 1958 she moved to Nashville to pursue her calling: songwriting. Signed to prestigious Cedarwood Publishing, she found success with hits such as "Waterloo" (Stonewall Jackson), "Long Black Veil" (Lefty Frizzell), "Grin and Bear It" (Jimmy Newman) and "PT 109" (Jimmy Dean).

Expanding her musical ventures, she formed a backup vocal group - dubbed "The Marijohn Singers" - which was heard on hundreds of Nashville recordings and they appeared as a regular vocal group on OPRY television shows. She produced many studio sessions, including four albums on herself for Word Records. In 1964, she established her own publishing company, Buckhorn Music. Her company's first hit was "GTO" written by her son, Bucky Wilkin. She has groomed and supported many writers and musicians throughout Buckhorn's 40 years, most famously launching the Hall of Fame career of Kris Kristofferson in 1965. With him, she wrote the worldwide hit "One Day At A Time," which has been recorded more than 750 times. Marijohn was inducted to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1975 and Southern Songwriters Guild of Fame in 1995.

Marijohn Wilkin died October 28, 2006