| Meri Wilson | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 15, 1949 Nagoya, Japan |
| Died | December 28, 2002 (aged 53) Americus, Georgia, United States |
| Genres | Novelty songs |
| Occupations | Singer, songwriter |
| Instruments | Guitar |
| Years active | 1977–2002 |
| Labels | GRT, Pye |
Meri Wilson (June 15, 1949 – December 28, 2002)[1] was an American popular music singer, specializing in double entendre novelty songs.
She was born in Nagoya, Japan, at a U.S. military base, but raised in Marietta, Georgia. Wilson later gained a Masters Degree in Musical Education at Georgia State University.
In the 1970s she moved to Dallas, Texas and worked as a singer and model. She achieved fame in 1977 after she recorded a song titled "Telephone Man", which was filled with suggestive lyrics and her breathy squealing voice. The song became a surprise hit single, climbing the UK Singles Chart to #6,[1] spending ten weeks in the listings, as well as making it to #18 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. It sold over one million copies in the U.S. alone.[1] In addition, the song would become a favorite on Dr. Demento's radio show.
Wilson later recorded other novelty songs, including "Dick The D.J." and "Peter The Meter Reader".[2] Her last project was a 2001 update to her famous hit which was entitled, "Internet Man".
She died in 2002, at the age of 53, after she lost control of her car on Georgia State Route 377 in Americus, Georgia, during an ice storm.[3]