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Porter Wayne Wagoner (August 12, 1927–October 28, 2007) was a popular American country music singer known for his flashy Nudie and Manuel suits and blond pompadour. He introduced a young Dolly Parton on his long-running television show, and they were a well-known duet team throughout the late 1960s and early 1970s. Known as Mr. Grand Ole Opry, Wagoner charted 81 singles; and is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame.
[edit] Biography[edit] Early careerWagoner's first band, The Blue Ridge Boys, performed on radio station KWPM-AM from a butcher shop in his native West Plains, Missouri where Wagoner cut meat. His big break came in 1951, when he was hired by Si Siman as a performer on KWTO-AM in Springfield, Missouri.[1] This led to a contract with RCA Records. With lagging sales, Wagoner and his trio played schoolhouses for the gate proceeds; but in 1953, his song "Trademark" became a hit for Carl Smith, followed by a few hits of his own on RCA. Starting in 1955 he was a featured performer on ABC-TV's Ozark Jubilee in Springfield, Missouri. Don Warden joined the Wagonmasters on steel guitar and became Wagoner's long time business manager He moved to Nashville, Tennessee, joining the Grand Ole Opry in 1957.[2] [edit] Chart successWagoner's 81 charted records include "A Satisfied Mind" (#1, 1955), “Misery Loves Company” (#1, 1962), “I've Enjoyed As Much of This As I Can Stand” (#7, 1962–1963), “Sorrow on the Rocks” (#5, 1964), “Green Green Grass of Home” (#4, 1965), “Skid Row Joe” (#3, 1965–1966), “The Cold Hard Facts of Life” (#2, 1967), and “The Carroll County Accident” (#2, 1968–1969). Among his hit duets with Dolly Parton were a cover of Tom Paxton's "The Last Thing on My Mind" (1967), "We'll Get Ahead Someday" (1968), "Just Someone I Used To Know" (1969), "Better Move it on Home" (1971), "The Right Combination" (1972), "Please Don't Stop Loving Me" (#1, 1974) and "Making Plans" (#2, 1980). He also won three Grammy Awards for gospel recordings. [edit] Television seriesHis syndicated television program, The Porter Wagoner Show, aired from 1960 to 1981. There were 686 30-minute episodes taped; the first 104 in black and white and the remainder in color. At its peak, it was featured in over 100 markets, with an average viewership of over three million.[citation needed] Reruns of the program currently air on the rural cable network RFD-TV. The shows usually featured opening performances by Wagoner with performances by Norma Jean, or later Parton, and comedic interludes by Rhodes. During Parton's tenure, she and Wagoner usually sang a duet (Wagoner did not duet with Norma Jean).[citation needed] 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 or Parton, or the show's guest star, or occasionally the entire cast. The shows had a friendly, informal feel, with Wagoner trading jokes with band members (frequently during songs) and exchanging banter with Parton and Howser. During their duets, Parton and Wagoner both frequently changed lyrics on one another try throw the other off course.[citation needed] Parton wrote the song "I Will Always Love You" after Wagoner suggested she shift from story songs to focus on love songs.[3] Wagoner's stage alter ego was Skid Row Joe. The cast included:
After 1974:
[edit] Later careerWagoner brought James Brown to the Grand Ole Opry, produced a rhythm & blues album for Joe Simon, and appeared in the Clint Eastwood film Honkytonk Man.[4] During the mid-1980s, Wagoner formed an all-girl group, The Right Combination, named after one of his hit records with Parton. He also hosted Opry Backstage during the 1990s on The Nashville Network. Though Parton's departure caused some animosity on both sides, the two reconciled in the late 1980s and appeared together a number of times in the following years; Parton inducted Wagoner into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2002. Wagoner made a guest appearance on the HBO comedy series Da Ali G Show in 2004, its second season, interviewed by Borat Sagdiyev. On July 14, 2006, he underwent surgery for an abdominal aneurysm.[citation needed] Wagoner was honored on May 19, 2007 at the Grand Ole Opry for both his fifty years of membership and his 80th birthday. It was telecast on GAC's Grand Ole Opry Live that day with artists such as Parton, Stuart and Patty Loveless. Grand Ole Opry Live host Nan Kelley was part of the birthday celebration as well. On June 5, 2007, Wagoner released his final album called Wagonmaster. The album was produced by Marty Stuart for the Anti- label. This album received the best reviews of Wagoner's career and briefly charted on the country charts. He also toured during the summer of 2007 to promote the album. One of these was to open for the rock group The White Stripes at a sold-out concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City. [edit] FamilyWagoner was married twice, to Velma Johnson for less than a year in 1943, and then to Ruth Olive Williams from 1946 to 1986, though they separated 20 years before the divorce. He was survived by his three children, Richard, Denise and Debra.[5] [edit] DeathUntil his illness and death, Wagoner appeared regularly on the Grand Ole Opry and toured actively. He died from lung cancer[6] in Nashville on October 28, 2007.[7] Wagoner's funeral was held November 1, 2007 at the Grand Ole Opry House. He is buried at Woodlawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Nashville. Dolly Parton performed a concert at her Tennessee theme park, Dollywood, in his memory after his death. Porter Wagoner Boulevard in his native West Plains, Missouri is named in his honor. [edit] DiscographyMain article: Porter Wagoner discography [edit] Awards
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Categories: 1927 births | 2007 deaths | Deaths from lung cancer | Musicians from Missouri | Grammy Award winners | American male singers | American country singers | Country music television series | Grand Ole Opry members | American country singer-songwriters | People from Howell County, Missouri | Country Music Hall of Fame inductees | RCA Victor Records artists | Cancer deaths in Tennessee | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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