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.

[5] After agent Lucky Moeller heard Wilkin's mother playing the piano at a bar, he convinced her to move to Nashville.

[7] While Wilkin made the recordings with his band, the Memphis, Tennessee, group The Hombres presented themselves on tour as Ronny & the Daytonas.

In August 1965, John Wilkin picked up Kristofferson at the Nashville Airport to head to Buckhorn Music, where he became the first artist signed by the publisher.

[20] Kristofferson later introduced Wilkin to director Dennis Hopper, who invited him to take part on his production of The Last Movie filmed on location in Peru.

[7][21] Songs by Wilkin were featured on the soundtrack of The Last Movie,[22] as well as on the 1971 accompanying documentary of the making of the film, The American Dreamer.

[7] Wilkin played the guitar as a session musician in Nashville for several artists including Waylon Jennings, Kinky Friedman, and Jessie Colter.