Porter Wagoner

Wagoner was born in West Plains, Missouri, the son of Bertha May (née Bridges) and Charles E. Wagoner, a farmer.[2] 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.[1] In 1951, he was hired by Si Siman as a performer on KWTO in Springfield, Missouri.[3] This led to a contract with RCA Victor.

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,[1] followed by a few hits of his own for RCA Victor. Starting in 1955, he was a featured performer on ABC-TV's Ozark Jubilee in Springfield. He often appeared on the show as part of the Porter Wagoner Trio with Don Warden and Speedy Haworth. Warden, on steel guitar, became Wagoner's long-time business manager. In 1957, Wagoner and Warden moved to Nashville, Tennessee, joining the Grand Ole Opry.[3]

Wagoner's 81 charted records include "A Satisfied Mind" (No. 1, 1955), "Misery Loves Company" (No. 1, 1962), "I've Enjoyed as Much of This as I Can Stand" (No. 7, 1962–1963), "Sorrow on the Rocks" (No. 5, 1964), "Green, Green Grass of Home" (No. 4, 1965), "Skid Row Joe" (No. 3, 1965–1966), "The Cold Hard Facts of Life" (No. 2, 1967), and "The Carroll County Accident" (No. 2, 1968–1969).[1]

Among his hit duets with Dolly Parton were a remake of Tom Paxton's "The Last Thing on My Mind" (1967), "We'll Get Ahead Someday" (1968), "Just Someone I Used to Know" (1969), "Daddy Was An Old Time Preacher Man", (1970), "Better Move it on Home" (1971), "The Right Combination" (1972), "Please Don't Stop Loving Me" (No. 1, 1974) and "Making Plans" (No. 2, 1980).[4] He also won three Grammy Awards for gospel recordings.

Wagoner and Dolly Parton in May 1969

His syndicated television program, The Porter Wagoner Show, aired from 1960 to 1981. There were 686 30-minute episodes taped, the first 104 (1960–66) in black-and-white and the remainder (1966–81) in color. At its peak, his show was featured in over 100 markets, with an average viewership of over three million.[5] Reruns of the program air on the rural cable network RFD-TV and its sister channel in the UK Rural TV.

The shows usually featured opening performances by Wagoner with performances by Norma Jean, or later Dolly Parton, and comedic interludes by Speck Rhodes. During Parton's tenure, she and Wagoner usually sang a duet.[6] 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. 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, Dolly Parton's song "I Will Always Love You", written about her professional break from Wagoner, went to number one on the country music charts.[7]

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 '60s)
• Announcer Don Howser

Don Warden on steel guitar

"Little" Jack Little on fiddle

Benny Williams on banjo and guitar (1961)

Speck Rhodes Comedian/stand-up bass

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

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

Wagoner 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.[8] 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 was difficult for both, 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.

Wagoner was honored on May 19, 2007, his 80th birthday, at the Grand Ole Opry for his 50 years of membership. It was telecast on GAC's Grand Ole Opry Live that day with artists including Parton, Marty 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. Produced by Stuart for the Anti- label, the album received the best reviews of Wagoner's career and briefly charted on the country charts. A music video was also produced of one of the tracks, a cover of Johnny Cash's "Committed to Parkview". He toured during the summer of 2007 to promote the album, including a late-July appearance on Late Show with David Letterman. One of these performances was to open for the rock group The White Stripes at a sold-out concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City.