"Waterloo" was a number-one hit for country singer Stonewall Jackson in 1959. It was written by John D. Loudermilk and Marijohn Wilkin. The single was the most successful of Jackson's career, spending five weeks at number one on the U.S. country music chart. "Waterloo" was also Jackson's only Top 40 hit, where it stayed on the chart for 16 weeks, peaking at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart. The song tells of three famous people who, because of their actions, "met their Waterloo" – Adam (who ate the "apple"), Napoleon (at the namesake battle), and Tom Dooley (who was hanged for murder). (More from Wikipedia)
Kris Kristofferson also co-wrote another major gospel hit song in the 1970's, "One Day at a Time" (also the motto of Alcoholics Anonymous and other similar organizations). He co-wrote the song with a Nashville songwriting legend, Marijohn Wilkin. With Danny Dill, Wilkin co-wrote "The Long Black Veil" for Lefty Frizzell – this standard is such a cultural touchstone that it was even mentioned in an opinion by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in 1979. Other songs that Marijohn Wilkin wrote or co-wrote include "Waterloo", a #1 hit for Stonewall Jackson; "Cut Across Shorty", which was recorded by Eddie Cochran, Rod Stewart, Faces, and Freddie and the Dreamers; and "I Just Don't Understand" that was covered by Ann-Margret and the Beatles.
(July 2014)
