Meri Wilson

Meri Wilson Edgmon (June 15, 1949 – December 28, 2002), known professionally as Meri Wilson, was an American singer best known for singing double entendre novelty songs. "Telephone Man" and success While singing some jingles in a Dallas–Fort Worth, Texas studio in early 1977, she caught the attention of former Bloodrock vocalist Jim Rutledge from Fort Worth, who introduced her to music producer Boomer Castleman. Wilson began recording for his BNA Records label and taped her self-composed song "Telephone Man" based on her brief affair with a Dallas telephone technician installing the phone in her new apartment there. Filled with suggestive lyrics and her breathy squealing voice, the song became a surprise hit single, climbing the UK Singles Chart to No. 6, spending ten weeks in the listings, as well as making it to No. 9 in Ireland and New Zealand and No. 18 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. It reached No. 42 in Australia, and was also a minor hit in Canada (No. 76). It became a gold record, selling over one million copies in the U.S. alone. The song became a favorite on the "Dr. Demento Radio Show". "Telephone Man" and "Telephone Line", ELO's song, were back-to-back on the Hot 100's top 40 for two non-consecutive weeks in the summer of 1977.