Career
Mark Wilkerson and Milldrum were previously members of a band named COG. They released their only album, ‘No Time at All’, in 2001. After departing from that group, they created Course of Nature. In the early years, the group used to perform cover songs. However, that gradually changed as they started developing their own material. At some point, Rick Shelton, previously associated with Dust for Life, became the third member of the group.
In 2001, the group agreed to a record deal with Lava/Atlantic Records and subsequently started working on their debut album. ‘Superkala’ was released on February 26, 2002, to mixed reviews. It is comprised of ten songs, ‘Wall of Shame’, ‘Caught in the Sun’, ‘Difference of Opinion’, ‘Someone Else to You’, ‘Remain’, ‘Gain’, ‘1000 Times’, ‘Could I've Been’, ‘Better Part of Me’, and ‘After the Fall’, all of which were penned by Wilkerson. Producer Matt Martone and recording engineer Randy Staub were also affiliated with the project. One of the songs from the album, ‘Wall of Shame’, was included in the soundtrack for the 2002 racing video game ‘Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2’. ‘Caught in the Sun’ appeared in episode ten of season one of The WB’s (later The CW) superhero series ‘Smallville’ (2001-11) and as the theme for ESPN's coverage of the 2002 FIFA World Cup in South Korea/Japan. ‘Better Part of Me’ was featured in the 2003 game ‘Project Gotham Racing 2’.
Shortly after the album’s release, both Milldrum and Shelton quit the group. By 2007, Course of Nature was dropped by their record label. The group eventually found a new collaborator in Silent Majority records label. Their second album, ‘Damaged’, was put out on January 29, 2008. Produced by David Bendeth, it also contains ten songs written by Wilkerson, ‘Anger Cage’, ‘Right Before My Eyes’, ‘Time Is Slipping Away’, ‘Memory Of You’, The Window’, ‘Live Again’ ‘Gone’, ‘How Great You Are’, ‘World At War’, and ‘Forget Her’. ‘Anger Cage’ was featured in the end credits of the 2009 horror thriller ‘Nine Dead’.
By 2009, Course of Nature was comprised of Wilkerson, Sean Kipe (lead guitarist), Jackson Eppley (bassist), and Shane Lenzen O'Connell (drummer). On January 30, 2010, Kipe posted on his Facebook that they were spending more time in the studio in order to develop new material. However, in April 2010, he revealed that he was affiliated with Alex Band at the time.
On January 24, 2011, the group put out four demos, ‘(Un) Happy’, ‘The Bitter End’, ‘Don't Pretend’, and ‘I Miss You’. Penned by both Wilkerson and Kipe, the songs can be found on the band's MySpace profile. Course of Nature split not long after the demos were released. None of the members offered any explanation for it.
For the rock group Daughtry, Wilkerson wrote the song ‘It’s Not Over’ with Chris Daughtry, Ace Young, and Gregg Wattenberg. It became the debut single of the group as well as the opening track of their self-titled debut album (2006). In 2007, Wilkerson and the rest of the writers were nominated for a Grammy for the song.
As an actor, Wilkerson made his debut in 2002 in the season seven premiere of The WB’s (previously ABC) supernatural sitcom ‘Sabrina, the Teenage Witch’. In 2011, he had his big-screen debut in writer-director Christopher Olness’ musical comedy film ‘Satin’. His most recent cinematic appearance was in the 2014 comedy-drama ‘Santa Con’, which was directed by his wife, Melissa Joan Hart.
Family & Personal Life
Mark Wilkerson was born on September 6, 1976, in Enterprise, Alabama, USA, to Jennifer and Walt Wilkerson. He has two older sisters, Sally Alexandra Wilkerson and Holly Wilkerson Cole.
Wilkerson exchanged wedding vows with actress Melissa Joan Hart on July 19, 2003. They are parents to three sons: Mason Wilkerson (born on January 11, 2006), Braydon Wilkerson (born on March 12, 2008), and Tucker Wilkerson (born on September 18, 2012). Hart is mostly popular for portraying the titular character in ‘Sabrina, the Teenage Witch’ (1996-2003).
