Music Career
While Wilkins was interning at Olympic Studios he got the opportunity to work for famous engineer Mark “Spike” Stent. Stent’s resume includes working with such artists as Madonna, Beyoncé, Björk, Lily Allen, Depeche Mode, Massive Attack, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Oasis, U2, Usher, and Lady Gaga. Working for Stent provided Wilkins the opportunity to program for the engineer and work on high budgeted recordings. During his tenure with Stent Wilkins was able to work with producers and artists such as Timbaland, Oasis, Rodney Jerkins, Madonna and U2. Wilkins was able to work on the No Doubt “Rock Steady” album which Wilkins says later on afforded him higher profile opportunities for him to work on in the industry.
In 2000 Wilkins started working independently. The first band Wilkins produced after going independent was the multiplatinum, Grammy nominated group The Corrs. Since The Corrs Wilkins has gone on to produce and write for many more prominent artists.
In May 2004 multiplatinum Grammy nominated singer Natasha Bedingfield released “Single”, a song co-written and co-produced by Wilkins. The song went on to reach #3 on the UK Singles Top 75 chart.
Natasha Bedingfield followed “Single” with “These Words” released in August 2004. Co-produced and co-written by Wilkins, the song climbed to #1 on the UK Singles Chart and was a top 20 hit in the US reaching #17 on Billboard’s Hot 100.
Wilkins co-wrote and co-produced another hit for Natasha Bedingfield, "Love Like This", which also featured Sean Kingston. The song released in September 2007 went platinum, to the top of Billboards Dance/Club Play Songs, and to #11 on Billboards Hot 100.
Grammy nominated singer Keri Hilson released her debut single “Energy” off of her gold album “In A Perfect World” in May 2008. Wilkins cowrote and coproduced the single with fellow prominent members of production team The Runaways, Sam Watters, Rico Love, and Louis Biancaniello.
In early 2008, Wilkins co-wrote We Break the Dawn alongside Solange Knowles and Andrew Frampton for R&B singer Michelle Williams third album "Unexpected." He was also involved in creating the remix for the same song.
In June 2008 Shontelle’s “T-shirt” was released and co-written by Wilkins. The single was a dance hit in the United Kingdom and the United States. Reaching #1 on UK’s Urban Chart and #1 on Billboard’s Hot Dance Club songs.
Beyoncé released her double platinum and 5x Grammy winning album “I Am…Sasha Fierce” in November 2008 which included the Wilkins’ Production and co-written single “Sweet Dreams”. The song went on to reach platinum status and landed at #10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
In May 2009 former American Idol winner Jordin Sparks released the single “Battlefield”. Wilkins cowrote and coproduced the song that reached the top 10 of Billboard’s Hot 100. With this song Wilkins assisted the platinum singer in achieving her third top 10 Billboard Hot 100 single.
British artist Cheryl Cole released the single “Fight For This Love” in October 2009 taken from her multiplatinum album “3 Words”. Wilkins co-wrote and co-produced the single which went platinum in the UK and topped Billboard’s UK Songs Chart and the BBC’s UK Singles Chart.
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“The harp that once through Tara’s halls The soul of music shed, Now hangs as mute on Tara’s walls As if that soul were fled.”
—Thomas Moore (1779–1852)
“It is a great many years since at the outset of my career I had to think seriously what life had to offer that was worth having. I came to the conclusion that the chief good for me was freedom to learn, think, and say what I pleased, when I pleased. I have acted on that conviction... and though strongly, and perhaps wisely, warned that I should probably come to grief, I am entirely satisfied with the results of the line of action I have adopted.”
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