Dianne Wilkinson

Dianne Wilkinson (December 7, 1944 - November 30, 2021)

(Name sometimes misspelled as Diane Wilkinson. Sometimes credited as Dianne B Wilkinson.)

Biography

Dianne Wilkinson grew up in Blytheville, Arkansas where she developed the ability to sing harmony before she had any formal musical training. From an early age, she listened to her mother and aunt sing in a trio called the Ross Sisters and after taking enough piano lessons to maintain a good rhythm, she began playing for them. They had a radio show on KLCN in Blytheville.

In 1957, her family organized Ridgecrest Baptist Church and young Dianne became the church pianist. Being close to Memphis, Tennessee, she also attended some of the early National Quartet Conventions from the time she was a young teenager.

After high school, Dianne worked for ten years before marrying Tim Wilkinson who she had first met when he was a medic at the Air Force hospital. They formed a group with her mother called The Revelations. Her brother Jim Branscum joined the group as well after returning from the war in Vietnam. By this point, Dianne was well on her way to a lifelong career in medical records, but music would also forever be part of her life.

The first album the group recorded included two songs written by Dianne: “Behold The Lamb” and “Could This Be The Day?” “Behold The Lamb” would later be recorded by the Songmasters, her first cut by a group she was not part of herself. The Revelations also sang her song “Boundless Love” several years before it was recorded by The Cathedrals.

By the end of the 1970s, her brother had been called to preach. Working a full-time job plus her various church duties as pianist and Sunday School teacher was beginning to take a toll. Something had to give, so the group was retired. She continued writing songs, though, and as artists who recorded them got a good response, they would come back to her for another one, or three or four. One of her first songs recorded by the Cathedrals was “Turn Your Back.” Later, “We Shall See Jesus” became Glen Payne’s signature song.

She wrote most of her songs by herself until the early 2000s when she started co-writing with others. Triumphant’s Scotty Inman convinced her early in his own songwriting career to co-write with him. Since then, she has co-written many songs with writers ranging from Sue C. Smith and Kenna Turner West to Rusty Golden.

Wilkinson’s best repeat customer has been the Kingdom Heirs. One of their albums is entirely her material (2011’s We Will Stand Our Ground). This came after they had recorded a total of seventeen of songs written by her over the span of their two previous albums. Over the years, the group has recorded several dozen of her songs.

In 2012, she published her autobiography (co-written with Daniel J. Mount) titled Dianne Wilkinson: The Life and Times of a Gospel Songwriter.

Awards

Singing News Fan Awards: Favorite Non-Performing Songwriter (2013, 2014, 2015)

NQC Music Awards: Songwriter of the Year (2012, 2013)

SGMA Hall Of Fame (2020)

Songwriter Resume

(Partial List)

A Cross Became My Saving Grace
A Love That Wouldn't Die
A New Look
A New Thing
A Reason To Sing
A Rugged Cross
All In God's Own Time
All The Way Home
Angels Everywhere
As Good As I Could Be
At The Whisper Of His Name
Behold The Lamb
Biblically Correct
Boundless Love
Burn The Boat
Called In, Called Up, Called Out
Can You Burn
Christ Is Still The King
City Of Light
Come And Dine
Come On In
Common Little Things
Count On You
Crown Him King
Deep Water
Delivered Again
Devil Be Gone
Devoted To You
Do You Know What It Means
Even Thomas Couldn't Doubt It
Every Time I Call Your Name
Everybody Come See Jesus
Family Ties
Fighting On
Fire Away
Forever King
Go Show John
God Has Built A Fortress
God Has Provided A Lamb
God Knows How Much Mercy I Need
God Made It
God's Been Faithful
God's Grace Reaches Farther
God's Home
God's Still Good
Goin' Home Day
Goin' In Style
Gonna Make My Getaway
Good News From Jerusalem
Grand Ole Highway
Guilty
Has There Ever Been
Have You Ever
He Is All I Need
He Is Mine
He Lived To Tell It
He Rose Again
He Said
He Will Be
He Will Deliver You
Heaven Just Got Sweeter For You
Help Me Lord
Hey Jonah
High And Lifted Up
Home Free
Homeland
How Will You Plead
How Great The Debt
I Am Free
I Believe, I Believe, I Believe
I Can Take You To The Place
I Can't Help But Smile
I Found Mercy
I Have Passed Over Into Canaanland
I Still Remember
I Thank You
I Want You To Know
I Will Live
I Will Rise
I Will Stand For Jesus
I Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way
If God Said It I Believe It
If These Walls Could Talk
If You Ask Me
I'll Fly Away Home
I'll Keep Working Watching Waiting
I'll Know I'm Home
I'll Take It Like It Is
I'll Take It To The Grave
I'll Trust You With My Tomorrow
I'm Going Home Someday
I'm Gonna Get Up
I'm Holding On To Grace
I'm In The Shadow
I'm So Saved
It Should Have Rained
It's Jesus
It's Not Too Late To Pray
It's The Blood
I've Got My Reservation
Jesus Has Risen
Jesus Made A Believer Out Of Me
Jesus Showed Up
Jesus Will
Jesus Will Never Change
Just A Little South Of Heaven
Just Another Mile
Keep Me On The Wheel
Land Of Brightest Day
Lead On
Let Me Bring Your Children Home
Long Live The King
Longing For Beulah Land
Lord Your Word Is Still True
Love Goes A Mighty Long Way
Man Like Me
Man Of Sorrows
Master Builder
More Like Jesus Less Like Me
More Than Enough
Moses And Elijah
My Child Well Done
My Heavenly Home
My Resting Place
My Retirement Plan
Never Before Never Again
No News Is Good News
Nothing Was Burned
Of Thee I Sing
Oh Come Along
On The Gloryland Way
On The Rock Of Ages
Once For All
Peace Is On The Way
Peace Like A River
Picture This
Plenty Of Singing
Power In Those Bones
Pray For Me
Praying Your Troubles Away
Redeemer Of My Soul
Roll On
Rolled Back Stone
Room With A View
Safe On The Glory Side
Salvation Is The Miracle To Me
Saved
Saved Is All You Have To Be
Saving Us A Place In The Choir
Since Jesus Moved In
Singing To The King
So Long And Goodbye
Someday
Steppin' On The Stars
Strike Up The Band
Sweet Gloryland
Sweet Land Of Rest
Sweet Songs About Heaven
That Little Baby
That's Why I'm Here
The Church Will Overcome
The Hem Of His Garment
The Last Big Thing
The Old White Flag
The Right Side Of The Dirt
The Rock's Between The Hard Place And You
The Song Of The Ransomed
The Time Is Now
There Is A Haven
There Will Be Another Day
This Old Place
This Thing Called Grace
Those Same Hands
Travelin' Shoes
True To The Call
Turn Your Back
Unshakable Rock
Victory
Washed In The Blood
We Shall See Jesus
Well Done
Well Done My Child
We're Going Home
What All The Shoutin's About
What An Anchor
What Did They Call Him
What Salvation's Done For Me
What We Needed
When He Washed My Sins Away
When Jesus Comes
When Jesus Prayed
When Mercy Came Down
When The King Comes To Claim His Throne
When The Story Of My Life Is Told
When You Look At Me
Within The Reach Of A Prayer
Yes He Did, Yes He Does, Yes He Will
Yet You Call
You Got To Go By Grace
You Gotta Know
You'll Still Be There

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