Porter Wayne Wagoner (August 12, 1927 – October 28, 2007) was an American country music singer known for his flashy Nudie and Manuel suits and blond pompadour.
In 1967, he introduced singer Dolly Parton on his television show, The Porter Wagoner Show. She became part of a well-known vocal duo with him from the late 1960s to the early 1970s.
Known as Mr. Grand Ole Opry, Wagoner charted 81 singles from 1954 to 1983. He was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2002.
Biography
Early life and career
Wagoner was born in West Plains, Missouri, United States, His first band, the Blue Ridge Boys, performed on radio station KWPM-AM from a butcher shop in his native West Plains, where Wagoner cut meat. This led to a contract with RCA Victor. He also won three Grammy Awards for gospel recordings.
Television series
His syndicated television program, The Porter Wagoner Show, aired from 1960 to 1981, Reruns of the program air on the rural cable network RFD-TV and its sister channel in the UK Rural TV.thumb|Wagoner and Dolly Parton in 1971The shows usually featured opening performances by Wagoner with performances by Norma Jean, or later Dolly Parton, Each episode also featured a guest who would usually perform one or two songs. A spiritual or gospel performance was almost always featured toward the end of the show, generally performed by either Wagoner, Parton, or the show's guest star, or occasionally the entire cast. After Parton left the show, Porter began taping the show at Opryland USA in various locations around the park.
The shows had a friendly, informal feel, with Wagoner trading jokes with band members (frequently during songs) and exchanging banter with Dolly Parton and Don Howser. In 1974, Parton's song "I Will Always Love You", written about her professional break from Wagoner, went to number one on the country music chart.
Wagoner's stage alter ego was Skid Row Joe. The cast included:
- Singer Norma Jean (1960–1965)
- Singer Jeannie Seely (1965–1966)
- Singer Dolly Parton (1967–1974)
- Singer Barbara Lea (1974–1976)
- Singer Linda Carol Moore (1976–1978)
- Singer Mel Tillis (1968 regular)
- Comedian/stand-up bass Curly Harris (1960–mid 1960s)
- Announcer Don Howser
The Wagonmasters
1961
: Don Warden on steel guitar
: "Little" Jack Little on fiddle
: Benny Williams on banjo and guitar (1961)
: Speck Rhodes Comedian/stand-up bass
Mid-1960s
: Buck Trent on banjo and guitar
: George McCormick on rhythm guitar
: Mack Magaha on fiddle
: Ray Downs on rhythm guitar and vocal
: Michael Treadwell on bass guitar
: Shannon Randolph Porter on lead guitar
After 1974
: Bruce Osborn on lead guitar
: Fred Newell on banjo/guitar/mandolin
: Dave Kirby on guitar
: Stu Basore on steel guitar/dobro
: Bobby Dyson on bass
: Jerry Carrigan on drums
: Mack Magaha on fiddle
: Colene Walters on vocals/harmonica
: Mike Pearson on lead guitar
Later work
thumb|upright|Wagoner in May 2007
Wagoner brought James Brown to the Grand Ole Opry, produced a rhythm and blues album for Joe Simon, and appeared in the Clint Eastwood film Honkytonk Man. During the mid 1980s, Wagoner formed an all-girl group, the Right Combination, named after one of his hit records with Parton, and toured with them for several years.
Wagoner, a heavy smoker, died from lung cancer in Nashville on October 28, 2007, with his family and Dolly Parton at his side. His funeral was held November 1, 2007, at the Grand Ole Opry House. He is buried at Woodlawn Memorial Park in Nashville.
Legacy
Dolly Parton performed a concert at her theme park Dollywood in Wagoner's memory after his death.
Porter Wagoner Boulevard, a road in his native West Plains, Missouri, is named in his honor.
In 2013, the television show Drunk History presented a brief summary of Wagoner's relationship with Parton.
Dan Cooper at AllMusic noted, "As for his music, after signing with RCA in 1952, he produced a wealth of superb hard country, and just as much of the most wretchedly oversentimentalized tripe you'll ever want to hear. The latter, of course, is half the reason he's loved".