John "Buck" Wilkin | |
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![]() Wilkin in 1970 | |
Background information | |
Also known as | Bucky Wilkin, Ronny Dayton |
Born | April 26th, 1946 Tulsa, Oklahoma, US |
Died | April 6, 2024 Linden, Tennessee, US | (aged 77)
Genres | Pop, rock, folk |
Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter |
Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar |
Years active | 1960s–2024 |
Labels | Liberty Records, United Artists Records |
John William "Buck" Wilkin (April 26, 1946 - April 6th, 2024)[1] 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.
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.