Meri Wilson Edgmon, known by the stage name Meri Wilson, was an American novelty pop singer born in Nagoya, Japan, on 15 June 1949. Raised in Marietta, Georgia, she attracted the notice of former Bloodrock vocalist Jim Rutledge while singing jingles in a DallasâFort Worth studio, and he introduced her to producer Boomer Castleman. She began recording for his BNA Records label and released "Telephone Man", a self-composed song based on a brief affair with a telephone technician. The song was a hit, reaching number six on the UK Singles Chart, number nine in Ireland and New Zealand, and number 18 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. It sold over one million copies in the US, earning gold record status. Her debut and only album First Take was released later that year by GRT Records. She continued to write novelty songs such as "Peter The Meter Reader" and "Dick The DJ", but no other release matched the impact of her first, leading her to be known as a 'one-hit wonder'. In 1999, she released an updated version of "Telephone Man", titled "Internet Man". Meri Wilson was killed in a car accident on 28 December 2002 at the age of 53.
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