Biography

Melanie Delia Ruth Wilkinson was born on January 13, 1972 to Carl Wilkinson and Audrey Batts Wilkinson in Detroit, Michigan. She was the youngest of Audrey’s five children.

Melanie earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Huston-Tillotson University and a Master degree for Performance with extended studies from Texas State University.  

She has performed on various television broadcasts and in various venues, including weddings, private parties, sporting events, political gatherings, fundraisers, and memorial services. She continues to express her love for music and humanity via these same kinds of venues (in and out of state) and via her job in emergency communication for the City of Austin.

Melanie’s love for music began the first time she heard the older children in the choir at the Michigan Institute for Childhood Devolvement sing “The Greatest Love of All”. She was four years old. She sang, took voice lessons, and continued to be involved in vocal music through high school, where she decided to pursue music at the college level.

Through the years, Melanie has sung with and for such notables as Liz Carpenter, Lady Bird Johnson, Maya Angelou, Louis Gossett, Jr., Nolan Ryan, Jake Pickle, Cactus Pryor, Ann Richards, William Warfield, John Aielli of KUT radio, the Round Rock Community Choir, Martin Banks, James Polk, Pamela Hart, Hannibal Lokumbe, The Austin Singers, Austin Playhouse, Jacqui Cross, Janis Stinson, Dennis Whitehead, Waco Musical Theater Inc., The Houston symphony Orchestra, Dr. Tom Brown with Covenant Presbyterian Church of Austin, groups at her church home, Eastside church of Christ, which included  the Hour of Truth Chorus, the One Voice ensemble, and assisted with the Eastside Youth Chorus.

In late February of this year, Melanie was scheduled to join the Round Rock Community Choir as a guest soloist on their tour to the nation’s capital for a concert at the National Cathedral.

 
To cherish her memory she leaves: Father, Carl Wilkinson, Sister, Cheryl (Junious) Woods, Brother, Alonzo Blankenship, Brother, John Blankenship, Brother, Carl (Mythis) Wilkinson, Sister, Carla Anderson, Brother, Matthew Seddens, Brother, Alexander Wilkinson, Nephew, Alonzo Blankenship II, Niece, Jennifer Woods, Niece, Carolynn (Aaron) Davis, Niece, Katheryn (Chuck) Rapp, Niece, Krystain Blankenship, Niece, Chani Wilkinson, Niece, Christina Adams, cousins, and many many friends