~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~The Word*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Issue #2: 9/7/00
Member Count: 138 (C'mon we can do better than this!)
President: Tracey
Vice President: Michelle
Editor: Vanessa

Attachments: That's right, we've decided to have 2 this time :) a pic of Steve and Tyler from Marshall, MN (8/13/00) and a pic of Amanda from Chippewa Falls, WI (7/14/00). Both taken by Tracey, feel free to print them for your scrapbooks or whatever, but please don't use them on webpages, as these are Word exclusive pics.

~Opening~

We're baaaaaack! Hello and welcome to the Word's second issue! First off we'd like to give a big shoutout to all the new members, thanks for joining and we hope you all like the newsletter!

*~Member Contest News~*

Busy? Not aware of what's goin on? Need to be refreshed? No worries..that's what we're here for!....Member contest! Come on Wilkinsons fans..spread "The Word!" Who will come out on top? It's hasn't come to an end yet! Due to lack of participation, (Don't worry, we wont hold it against you!) we want to give our newer members a chance to take a shot at winning ... therefore the contest is being extended, until September 31. We do appricite those who have been participating and we wish you the best of luck...keep up the good work! Every contest has rules...so here they are!

The Rules: Hunt down as many fellow Wilkinsons fans and tell them to join "The Word" and all they have to do is email starwarsgirls@hotmail.com with the subject join. Make sure to tell the person that you sent them, that way we can keep track of who's finding us the members!

Whats a Contest Without Prizes??? Yup..thats right...prizes! The Top 3 people that get us the most members. What can those people win you ask?? Well just look below for details!

1st Place: Are you ready for this? The person who gets the most..will only get....An 8x10 printed picture of The Wilkinsons...SIGNED by all three in Chippewa Falls! Amanda was told it was for the fan club so she was sure to put "Love <3 Thanks" on it!

2nd Place: 8 Live pictures from Mall of America, Mahnomen, Marshall, and/or Chippewa Falls.

3rd Place: 4 Live Live pictures from Mall of America, Mahnomen, Marshall, and/or Chippewa Falls.

Want proof that these pictures are good?? All these pictures can be seen at Wilkinsons high...just click here ------> Wilkinson High

Current standings...

1st place: Gail- 26 members....You go Gail!
2nd place: Leanna- 7 members...not to far behind! you can still catch up!
And Its a triple tie for 3rd place: Mackenzie, Lauren & r_tyrese@hotmail.com- 1 member apiece

C'mon people! We can do better than this!

~*~ Breaking News*~*

It's been a little quiet on the news front lately, but have no fear I'm sure we'll be getting lots more news soon. In the meantime here's what we have...

*CCMA's are scheduled to air in the US Monday, September 11th (that's today) at 8 o'clock central on TNN! The Wilkinson's are slated to perform, as well as up for 3 awards (Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and The Fans' Choice Award)! Good luck Wilkinson's!!!

*Tiggy (The Wilkinson's old hedgehog) has been given away, but the Wilkinson's have kept one of Tiggy's 4 babies and named it Gus.

*Amanda's graduation was covered by Country Weekly.

~* Behind the Scenes News *~

The Wilkinson's are slated to start working on their next album any day now! Now we are not to sure about any details, but hopefully "Somewhere Before", "Outside Providence", and "Not Today" will be on the album.

The members section of Wilkinsononline is currently down, as you may have noticed. Have no fear tho, the fan club has been contacted (thanks David) and they are working on getting it back up :)

*~Tour Schedule*~

Are they headed in your direction? Chances are if you live in Canada they are :0)

September:

Mon 09/04/00- Show Low, AZ Thunder Raceway
Fri 09/08/00- Claremore, OK Claremore Expo Center
Fri 09/15/00- Fletcher, NC N.C. Mt. State Fair
Sat 09/16/00- Clemmons, NC Tanglewood Park
Mon 09/18/00- Anderson, SC Anderson County Fair
Sat 09/23/00- Huntsville, AL Big Spring Jam
Sat 09/30/00- Brighton, MI Brighton Center

October:

Sun 10/15/00- Kumamoto, JPN Country Gold Festival

November:

Thu 11/02/00- Kansas City, MO Kemper Arena
Sat 11/04/00- Valdosta, GA Wild Adventures Theme Park
Mon 11/13/00- Winnipeg, MB Walker Theatre
Tue 11/14/00- Thunder Bay, ON Community Auditorium
Wed 11/15/00- Timmins, ON Ecole Secondair Therialt
Sun 11/19/00- North Bay, ON Capitol Centre
Mon 11/20/00- St. Catharines, ON Sean O'Sullivan Theatre (2 shows)
Tue 11/21/00- Peterborough, ON The Showplace
Wed 11/22/00- Belleville, ON Belleville Yardmen Arena
Thu 11/23/00- Belleville, ON Belleville Yardmen Arena
Fri 11/24/00- Windsor, ON Capitol Theatre
Sat 11/25/00- London, ON Centennial Hall
Sun 11/26/00- Guelph, ON River Run Center
Mon 11/27/00- Hamilton, ON Hamilton Place Theatre
Wed 11/29/00- Sarnia, ON Imperial Oil Theatre

December:

Fri 12/01/00- Owen Sound, ON Owen Sound Collegiate & Voc. Inst.
Sat 12/02/00- Orillia, ON Opera House
Sun 12/03/00- Blyth, ON Blyth Theatre
Mon 12/04/00- Kingston, ON Grand Theatre

*Please call the venues before traveling long distances, as all dates have the possibility of changing.

Looking for fellow "Word" members to meet up with at Wilkinsons concerts? Email us with the show that you are going to and when and we'll add it in our next issue that way you all can see who's going to what concert and then you can make plans to meet up with them!

Vanessa and I will be meeting up for St. Catharine's show/s!!! If any of you are going and would like to meet us just email starwarsgirls@hotmail.com subject St. Catharine's! I know Vanessa will also be at Hamilton :)

*~Articles~*

This is an article from Pollstar on Mon October 19, 1998.
I know it's old, but we found it interesting and thought you might too. They were hotstar of the Week on Pollstar then :0)

IN SEPTEMBER OF LAST YEAR, THE WILKINSON family packed their bags and left their home of Ontario, Canada, for Nashville. ThisSeptember, Steve Wilkinson and his two oldest children, 16-year-old Amanda and 14-year-old Tyler, made radio chart history with their first single, Cents." And their Giant Records debut, Nothing But Love, sold nearly 10,000 units its first week out. Needless to say, it's been quite a year for the country music family. It's "been a whirlwind," Steve Wilkinson told POLLSTAR. "Everybody has said to us a million times down here, 'This is not the way it happens.' And I know. We understand the realities. Maybe we're the anomaly to the rule." However, Wilkinson does not believe in overnight successes. He and the kids have been singing professionally for about nine years. "We had sung for record labels before and whether it was timing or whether we needed to polish what we were doing or whatever the reason was, it never really clicked until this year," he said. "And then it just sort of clicked in a huge way." The Wilkinsons cultivated their talent singing together around the kitchen table and performing for relatives. "The kids joke about it," Wilkinson said. "They say, 'We would bring the guitar because after dinner, if you brought the guitar, you got to sing and didn't have to do the dishes.''The "getting-out-of-dishes" performances evolved into playing parties, anniversaries and weddings whichled to offers to perform at fairs, restaurants and clubs. "That evolved into opening for Canadian acts and U.S.acts when they would come to Canada," Wilkinson said. Though he worked hard on a songwriting career in Canada, Wilkinson considered it more of a hobby whilehis carpentry work paid the bills. Even though he scored some Top 10 singles with other artists recording his music, he said, "It's very hard to make a living as a songwriter in Canada or for that matter down here [in Nashville]. The old joke down here is, 'What's the difference between a large pepperoni pizza and a songwriter? A large pepperoni pizza can feed a family of four.' That pretty much sums it up." When Wilkinson moved the family to Nashville to further his songwriting career, he had no idea what they were in for. Two weeks after arriving, they went to a songwriter's night to see a friend and were asked to take the stage and sing a few. That was on a Friday night. By Monday, seven record labels were calling. To make the fairy tale complete, "Fairy Godfather" Vince Gill entered the picture. The family met Gill and sang for him at the management offices of The Fitzgerald-Hartley Company. About a week later, The Wilkinsons were invited backstage at the Grand Ole Opry and visited Gill in his dressing room. Wilkinson said as they were sitting around with the star, singing and playing guitar, "somebody came in and said, 'It's time for your 9:30 spot Vince.' And he stood up and turned to us and said, 'Well, let's go kids.' And we went, 'What?' And he said, 'Listen, are you telling me you're not ready to sing at the Opry?' And we went, 'Uhhhh.' He says, 'Let's go. Do you know what you want to sing?'" They had been in Nashville barely a month and The Wilkinsons were on stage at the Grand Ole Opry singing with one of their heroes. Wilkinson said he'll never forget what Gill said when introduced the family: "'Every once in awhile I see something that reminds me of why I got in this business. This week, it happened to be a family -- a father, a son and a daughter that captures the magic of why we all love country music.'" In speaking with Wilkinson, there's no question as to how extremely proud he is of his family. He brags about how professional Amanda and Tyler are while managing to remain normal children, doing the things kids their age do. He talks about how his wife, Chris, and his 8-year-old daughter, Kiaya, are "200 percent"behind the project, as well. This career is definitely a family affair and the group's business team is sensitive to that. That's a big reason why The Wilkinsons signed to Giant Records. "Doug Johnson, who runs Giant Records, took me aside one day and he said, 'Don't let us eat up all your time because we will,'" Wilkinson remembered. "He said, 'Back away from it... Don't feel bad about doing it.'" Wilkinson takes that advice to heart because he and his wife are careful to not let stardom negatively affect their children. But so far, it looks like everyone's got their head firmly planted on their shoulders. "I think Amanda said it best," Wilkinson said. "She said, 'Just because you have a record deal doesn't mean you have to get goofy. There's already enough idiots in the world that the population doesn't need to be increased by three.' And I said, 'That's right on!'" With that in mind, The Wilkinsons are hitting the big time on their current tour. All five members of the family will be on the road with Alan Jackson through November. The group has been asked to join Tim McGraw, Collin Raye and Patty Loveless on several dates as well.

Thirteenth Annual Music Row Ladies Golf Tournament
Tyler Wilkinson Gives Up Dream of Becoming Professional Golfer
By Fran Galloway

Amanda Wilkinson won movie passes for a year while Tyler is still trying to live down his famous "bullseye." Tyler Wilkinson of the singing Wilkinsons, was the talk of the 13th Annual Music Row Ladies Golf Tournament. Held May 22 at Old Natchez Trace Country Club near Nashville, the event supports United Cerebral Palsy of Middle Tennessee. "The only ball I hit semi-straight hit a girl," Tyler admitted. Amanda reported that the word soon spread, and Tyler learned just how quickly a reputation is born. Tyler laughed, "It was nuts. Everybody turned around and said, 'Hey, you're that kid that hit the girl with the ball.' I'm not a good golfer as you can tell." Also stealing the spotlight was the Wilkinsons' new pet hedgehog, Tiggy, who schmoozed with the crowd and even took a dip in the pool. Other artists participating in the event included Pam Tillis, Trace Adkins, Chalee Tennison and Coley McCabe. Sponsored by American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, TNN and Capitol Nashville, the event is a chance for women in the music industry to hit the links for a good cause with their male colleagues serving as caddies. Organizers estimate that this year's event will raise more than $40,000 bringing the total to over $300,000 raised in the tournament's 13-year history.

Know of any Wilkinson articles?? Send them our way! just drop as an email at Starwarsgirls@hotmail.com with the subject line Article!

~*~Concert Reviews~*~

I have seen the Wilkinsons 2 times and I thought I would write about both times *HEHEHE* the first time was on March 27,1999 in Navarre,Flordia at Navarre Funfest........My Mom and my bestfriends Mom drove me and my bestfriend 6 hours to the concert.............When we got to the funfest (it was outside) there was like MAYBE 65 or 70 people there so it wasn't very big...it was 30 minutes before the wilkinsons were supposed to perform so we stood and listen to some guy that was singing (i was so excited i didn't get his name) finally at 7:30 pm when the wilkinson came out i remember like it was yesterday....they walked out Tyler was last and me and my bestfriend were screaming to the top of our lungs ..there were some guys next to us screaming at amanda..anyway they came out said hello and started the concert they sang 26 CENTS, BACK ON MY FEET, FLY, BOY OH BOY, DON'T I HAVE A HEART, BIRD and Tyler sang a Tim Mcgraw song called ONE OF THESE DAYS..then he sang a song that Brian Adams sings, called Back To You....and way me and my friend were screaming (we were like the only ones that were) and mr. Steve looked at us and said well..at least we know we have 2 fans out there..then Tyler said dad can we take them home with us...Amanda said yeah that would be cool......Mr.Steve said i think we have some room in our cabeints..me and my bestfriend were like OMG!! he was talking about us! after the concerts they signed autographs and we were like the 5 or 6th people in line.....when we got up there we said HI i was shaking soo bad I handed Tyler a piece of paper and he was like calm down I'm not going to bite you or anything i was like oook and Mr. Steve said ahhhhhhh there's our fans come here and get a picture with us so Amanda grabbed me by the arm and was like say cheese we took like 5 or 6 pics with them and then started walking away we got a little bit away from them and i just grabbed my bestfriend and started screaming *HHEHEH* and they heard me so Tyler yelled i know i am the best..............so that was my first experiance

My second concert was on April 21,2000 in Mobile, Alabama at a thing called ST. JUDES ON THE BAY.......it was a concert to help raise money for patients of ST. JUDES there was 4 acts there..The Wilkinsons,Chalee Tennison,Clay Davidson, and Richoet .....my Mom took me and my bestfriend(the same person who went to the other concert) anyway....the concert started at 7:00 we got there at 5:30 there was about 6 people in line ahead of us well at 6:30 they opened the door to let us in me and my bestfriend ran and got 3 rd row (the 1st 2 rows were for ST. JUDES patients) ok so everyone came out all of the acts the stage was setup like a living room...so everyone was sitting on couches and chairs Tyler was on the floor *HEHEHE*...me and my bestfriend had blue glowsticks in our mouth so Tyler and Amanda kept looking at us and Tyler kept pointing at us and talking to Amanda...the first person to sing was Clay Davidson (he sang his # 1 song Unconditional and 2 other songs) then Chalee Tennison (omg! she is beautiful!!) she kept flirting with Tyler and telling him to stop looking at her butt while she was singing...it was cute his face was turning red and stuff well after she sang 3 songs it was their turn they got on stage and again me and my bestfriend was screaming very loud there were 3 or 4 other girls screaming 2 but Tyler never looked at them he kept looking at us and laughing they sang........26 cents, Jimmy's got a g/f, shame on me,and hypothetically.....after they sang and everything it was Richoet's turn they and the last song was Daddy's Money.....hehehe Tyler sang with them he sang these words, A DYNAMITE KISSER...like everytime it came up in the chorus.....the show was over and you had to have a backstage pass..to get backstage and see them and we didn't have one but..............I'm the kinda person that never gives up so me and my friend went to see if we could get back there......we were the last people in line we talked to the head of St. Judes for about 30 minutes asking him how to get involved and stuff then this BIG guy came and he was like is there anyone else whos coming through? we have 2 more people in there to get autographs and then we are closing the door so the guy that we were talking to goes yeah these 2 ladies need to go in there.....i was sooooooo happy my heart sank to my knees I wasn't as nervous this time as i was the first time..we went in there and all of the singers were in a line..it was Clay Davidson he is so tall...... then Chalee Tennison i will say it again she is a very beautiful lady..then it was the wilkinsons.....we got up there and shook their hands and Mr. Steve said i know you guys from somewhere have you been to any other concerts and we told him about the last one.....he was like that soo cool that you guys came again.then we told him about the BS pass and he was like that was smooth guys......Amanda looks at me and goes can i ask you a question i was like sure she said what in the world is in your mouth?? I noticed that through the whole concerts (she laughed) Tyler kept poking me and asking me what they were.so what re they.......me and my friend looked at each other and said at the same time glow sticks..tyler was like where do you buy them i was like the gas station (i have 5 extra ones so i gave them each one!) Tyler said...these aren't toxic are they if they burst it won't kill me...and i was like no and my friend goes i have busted 2 in my mouth already he goes wow at least your OK.........and then we talked for about 5 more minutes about concerts traveling and stuff (we were the last people in the line) and then i go can we take a pic with you (they autograped the pic of us together at the last concert and i didn't stand by Tyler 1 time) and Tyler was like yeah if you stand beside me i was like OMG! OK so he put his arm around me and pulled me close (on the inside i was screaming) we took some pics and then we said bye to them and went to meet Richoet...they are really nice............we left the building so hyper we got to the car and my bestfriend started busting out laughing i was like what she goes hehehe you still didn't tell them your name (she told them hers at the last concert) i was like omg! we have to go back in there lol my Mom was like ug ok go we tried to get back in but they wouldn't let us we told one of the security guards to tell the wilkinsons to come to the door (so they would recognize us and talk to us again) so the security guard went back there came back and said the bus just left sorry sweeties but they are gone i was like aww man..i got out to the car where my Mom was waiting and my Mom was like guess what...they just left and i met them hahaha! i was like OK soo the nex time >i meet them i HAVE TO remember to tell them my name!!! those are my expericances sorry they are soooooooooooo long! :) ~Shena

(ITZME421@AOL.COM) Thank you Shena! Cool experiences gurly, don't worry I hardly ever tell people my name, I keep forgetting *L

*~*Links*~*

Check out The Wilkinson's online...

The Words Official Site

Traceys Website.... Wilkinson High
Michelles Wilkinson website Wilkinson Village
David's Photo Album The Wilkinsons
Lynzies Just another Wilkinsons Page
Kyles Kyle's Wilkinson Page
Official Wilkinsons Website
Brians websites: Welcome To Brian's Amanda Wilkinson Palace
Welcome To Brian's Wilkinsons Empire

Have a link you want us to add? Subject: Link

~*~Question Of the Month~*~

What is the craziest thing you have either done to get the Wilkinsons attention or did in front of them? Send your answers to us at starwarsgirls@hotmail.com be sure to put Answer in the subject! We will be sure to post as many replies as we have room for in our next issue!

Last months question... How did you become a Wilkinson's fan??

*I found out about the Wilkinsons at a Lila McCann concert a few years ago. The radio station had a promo for a show that they were holding in a few weeks with a new group who weren't released yet. They were the Wilkinsons! I fell in love with all of them from the moment the went onstage. I adored them soo much because they were soo sweet to me at the meet and greet. ~Megan~

*The radio..my parents would always play country music when i was little and then i though...sheesh..parents..but now i thank them!...I always would hear the Wilkinsons..then i saw the video for "Fly" and i thought...wow...from then on..I was hooked!...thanks mom and dad!! :O) ~Vanessa~

*I owe my thanks to Vanessa for becomin a fan...awhile ago she made me promise that if Wilkinsons ever came I would go with her..i said okay..cause well..i never thought they would actually have a concert around here..but one day...they did..and i was dragged to go! I dreaded that night for soooo long!! it was a tuesday which meant i would miss Buffy..i even considered sellin my ticket to my friends mom who wanted to go..but I went...and by the second song I told Vanessa..im signin up for the fan club during intermission so i can meet them..and the rest is history! ~Lauren J~

I found out about the Wilkinsons on accident, I guess you could say. I bought the Fly single when it came out and I thought it was cool, but I wasn't really into the whole country music thing. Then is April, I heard that they were coming to a town near us and I asked my mom if she could take me to it for my Easter present. A couple of days before the concert, I bought Nothing But Love and the minute I listened to it, I fell in love with it! And the next week I got to see them. From that day on, I've been hooked. ~Michelle~

I don't remember exactly how I first heard the Wilkinson's, but I do remember taping 26 Cents off of CMT and getting the album, Nothing But Love...then on September 3rd, 1999 Bryan White came to town, with the Wilkinson's as the opening act! I was psyched cuz I'd just recently gotten their cd and already had tix because I'm a big fan of Bryan White's too! During the concert, they said if you wanted to meet the Wilkinson's all you had to do was sign up for the fan club that nite. They didn't have to tell me twice! Right after they went offstage, I went to sign up...and when I later went backstage, I was impressed... Not only is their music great, but The Wilkinson's are really sweet and down to earth :) I've been to a few concerts since then, and each one's been great! I can't wait till the next, Canada and Vanessa here I come! ~Tracey~

~*~Poll~*~

This is the Poll without Limits...We give you the question you give us your pick- Come on guys!....last months poll we only recieved one reply!! We wanna know what you guys think so send in your answer!!

This months poll: If you were stranded on a desert island...with wish wilkinson would you want to be there with??
a) Tyler b) Amanda c) Steve d) Gus e) cant decide?

~*~Member of the Month~*~

Do you want to be member of the month? Visit our site and fill out the form.

This months winner: drum roll please.........rat tat tat........Jessica! Congrats gurly :) Here's her entry...

Name: Jessica Gregorio
Email Addy: Jessicalou44@aol.com
*Current Residence: Mckinleyville, CA
*How you became a Wilkinson fan: My cousin from out of town had the exclusive promo of 26cents when it had just started playing. I instantly fell for the sound of the Wilkinsons. There was no feeling to compare to the one I got when the chorus started playing. It really made a tear come from my eye.
*How long have you been a fan? I have been a fan since the very beginning.
*How many concerts have you been to? Wilkinsons=8 non-Wilkinsons=32
*Favorite Wilkinson memory: I got to hang out w/ the whole family one night! It was really fun. I met Chad and we talked about ShEDaisY and hung out like old friends. We wanted to keep hanging out but we both had things to do. But that is not my favorite memory. My favorite memory was the feeling after I hung out with them. They treated me like my best friend.
Favorite Wilkinson: I don't have a favorite. They are all so awesome. But Kiaya is really funny! Amanda is very much a girlfriend, Tyler is well, Tyler, Chris is so motherly but awesome! and Steve is just the good dad that he should be. So, I don't have a fav. :)
Favorite Wilkinson song: This is a very hard one! I love so many of their songs. but I guess, Yodelin' Blues and 1999. They just both got to me!
*Why you should be member of the month: I think I should be member of the month because I have been on the Wilkinsons' side since before the start! Not many people here really knew who they were, untill I came to school every day and was singing their songs! Now almost everyone in my town knows who they because of me! For birthday, Christmas or anything else that requires a gift, I would give the Wilkinsons CD and other Wilkinsons stuff. That way, they will get to know them more! I think that is a very good reason to be member of the month! I have shown this whole town how to see the reality of country music. I help the awarness of them all over my area. I just want them to be happy and get the credit they deserve. Also, I should be member of the month because, well, simply, the Wilkinsons ROCK! :)

Thanks for entering and sorry to those of you that didn't win this time. We will pick a new winner next month so keep those entries coming.

~*Quotes*~

"We make sure every fan goes home with an autograph." - Chris

"Tyler is like the puppy. I'm serious, he's like the puppy that just has fun running around and carrying on."- Steve

"C,mon baby, work with me. Can you feel it, bird? Are your thighs burning yet? Sweat it out." - Tyler
(cooking Beer Can chicken)

"We told the chicken that he wasn't allowed to drive home afterwards because of the beer." - Tyler

"Honest to Pete, if you go out and buy [Here and Now] and you don't think it is a better album than our first one, I will buy it back from you!" - Steve

"Just because you have a record deal doesn't mean you have to get goofy. There's already enough idiots in the world that the population doesn't need to be increased by three." - Amanda

Have a quote you want to share? Send it to starwarsgirls@hotmail.com!

~*~ Closing ~*~

And so comes a closing to another issue of "The Word"....We hope you guys enjoyed reading it as much as we did writing it! Don't forget to watch the CCMA's tonite :) Without you guys this newsletter would be pointless so feel free to send in any comments, questions, ideas, experiences, concerns, etc. can be emailed to starwarsgirls@hotmail.com. Thanks and have a nice day :0) Nothing but love....

Tracey (President)
Michelle (Vice President)
Vanessa (Editor)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* UNTIL NEXT TIME.........*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~