Graham Wilkinson

Graham Wilkinson brings a raw, fresh voice to the
often-tired singer/songwriter scene. In his songs,
ranging from deep grief to blind hope, Graham visits
bipolar conflicts that drive his listeners to tears and
laughter.

Although he’s armed with a guitar and a harmonica,
some of his songs seem more suited to hip-hop than
folk and force the listener to re-evaluate the links
between the genres. Some songs like “Miss You So
Much,” “Ragamuffin,” and “Way Down the Line”
express his affection, sadness, and confusion
following the untimely death of his older brother
Aaron in 2003. The brothers both graduated from the
Methodist liberal arts college of Hendrix in Arkansas
playing traditional folk and bluegrass songs at local
coffee houses, always remembering their strong
family ties and roots in east Texas.

After college Graham volunteered overseas on the
pacific islands of Pohnpei in Micronesia only to return
to his family because of Aaron’s death. Slowly feeling
his way through performing and writing again back in
the states he has revisited central and northwest
Arkansas, Mississippi, and northeast Texas playing
for college kids and coffee drinkers alike.

Although many of Graham’s songs are punctuated by
grief, his electric stage presence, coupled with the
seasoned lead guitar of Ray Hillner brings the
audience to its feet. In Graham’s owns words, “Music
is sanity, and sharing it is something I Have to do.”

BY HUGH CURTIS