Bill Wilkinson was born in Granite City, Illinois on February 16, 1949. He is the youngest of eight children. He graduated from Colloinsville High School in Collinsville, Illinois in 1967. In 1974 he received a bachelor of music education degree from John Brown University in Siloam Springs, Arkansas. He graduated Lawdy How Cum. (At least that is what the music professors said as he received his degree.) While at JBU he had a full scholarsip on trumpet performance. While in college he traveled with a group called The Sound Generation (All the good names were taken at the time). While in The Sound Generation he performed with Pat Boone, Roy Clark, Lionel Hampton, Andre Crouch, Florence Henderson and many others. The "Sounds" also performed for President Nixon in 1970. Mr. Wilkinson taught high school band in public schools for 32 years. (Two years in Albin, Wyoming and thirty years in the Longmont school district.). He currently teaches the Jazz Ensemble at Regis University in Denver, Colorado and is also the band director at Rocky Mountain Christian Academy in Longmont, Colorado.
His bands have received many awards and recognitions over the years. His high school bands were selected to perform at The Colorado Music Educators Convention 5 times. The CMEA Convention is held at the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, Colorado in January each year. Mr. Wilkinson was selected to direct The Colorado High School All State Jazz Band in 1988. He started the Skyline Jazz Festival in 1979 and the Festival is still going strong with 70 bands each year. His marching bands were invited to march at Bronco Football games 2 times.
Mr. Wilkinson married his college sweetheart, Beth, in 1971. They have 3 beautiful children, Summer, Megan and Seth, and 2 beautiful grandchildren Madeline and Emma. (No ugly ones)