Porter Wayne Wagoner was born August 12, 1927 of Irish-German heritage in the Ozarks of Missouri near the Arkansas border. A farm boy, he moved with his family to West Plains, where he married in 1946. In 1949, Porter visited Nashville and witnessed Hank Williams singing Lovesick Blues at the Grand Ole Opry.
He formed the Blue Ridge Boys band and by 1950 was singing over local radio (KWPM) out of a butcher shop where he cut meat.
Wagoners big break came when Springfield, Missouri, radio station KWTO hired him in 1951. He signed with RCA Records in 1952, but because his early records didn't sell well, Wagoner committed himself to a hard-traveling career of playing schoolhouses for gate proceeds only. His act was billed as the Porter Wagoner Trio, with Don Warden on steel guitar and Herschel Speedy Haworth on rhythm guitar.
Wagoner's Trademark, co-written with Gary Walker, went to 2 for Carl Smith in 1953, and Wagoner's hits penned by other writers, such as Companys Comin' (7, 1954-1955) and A Satisfied Mind (1, 1955) kept him on RCA. Wagoner was an early mainstay on the Ozark Jubilee ABC television show (19551956), but he moved to Nashville with his wife and three children in 1956 and joined the Grand Ole Opry the following year.
In 1960 Wagoner was invited by the Chattanooga Medicine Company to front a syndicated television show. Immediately he broadened his act, adding comedian Speck Rhodes, singer Norma Jean, and eventually Buck Trent (banjo), Mack Magaha (fiddle), and George McCormick (guitar). The show featured celebrities such as Tex Ritter and Cowboy Copas, plus newcomers such as Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings. The program ran an impressive two decades, ending in 1981.
As the TV shows reach expanded into nearly one hundred markets, with over three million viewers, Wagoner ran up a string of hits that included 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). Unlike some of his colleagues, he utilized but never pandered to the Nashville Sound, and never traded his flashy rhinestone suits for tuxedos. The versatile performer also won three Grammys for sacred recordings with the Blackwood Brothers (1966, 1967, 1969).
In 1967 Dolly Parton replaced Norma Jean in the shows cast and began recording duets with Wagoner, including fourteen Top Ten hits and one 1, Please Don't Stop Loving Me (1974). Wagoner was their de facto producer-arranger on thirteen duet albums, and he also supervised Parton's RCA solo output during this same period. While she eventually outshone Wagoner on the charts, he nevertheless prospered from his tireless efforts in building her career. Although Parton's departure from the show in mid-decade led to angry words and legal action, the two eventually resolved their differences.
Wagoner's post-Parton career upheld his innovative, persistently upbeat persona. He brought James Brown to the Grand Ole Opry, produced R&B sessions for Joe Simon, appeared in the Clint Eastwood film Honkytonk Man (1982), and served as an Opryland tourist ambassador in the 1990s. Still an active touring artist and a mainstay of the Opry, Porter Wagoner was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2002.
Porter has been awarded four Grammy awards. Three of which were won for his work in gospel music. Gospel music has, in fact, always been at the heart and soul of his legacy. He began recording again after many years and in 2004, Gusto/King Records owner recognized him as the King Of Country Gospel. 22 Grand Old Gospel 2004, became one of the best-selling gospel CDs in the Gusto/King/Tee Vee music catalog. Dolly stated it's one of the best albums I have ever heard, bar none. I'll enjoy this forever. The follow-up collection, 18 Grand Old Gospel 2005, released in January 2005, includes several songs written by Porter himself. Also featured on both collections are duets with Porter's current singing partner, Pam Gadd. In 2004 Porter and Pam recorded Something To Brag About giving some of country music's most classic songs their own spin. The CD received glowing reviews in 2005, Also that year, Porter recorded a collection of his 20 All Time Greatest Hits for Gusto/King. He revisited all the classics we know him for. A Satisfied Mind, Carroll County Accident, Skid Row Joe, Trouble In The Amen Corner, Companys Comin', Green, Green Grass Of Home, Ole Slew Foot, The Cold Hard Facts Of Life, Sunny Side Of The Mountain and all the recordings that helped to make him a legend.
January 2006 brought the third installment in the highly successful recordings with a country/gospel flavor. "Gospel 2006" and the first single, "The Dream (A True Story)" is getting great reviews, charting positions and airplay from many top Classic and Christian Country radio stations all across America.
Porter had a scare with an Abdominal Aneurysm on July 14th of 2006 and claimed that it was sheerly by his son Richard's promptness in getting him to the hospital that he survived the incident. This postponed work that was to begin on perhaps the greatest album of Porter's Career- WAGONMASTER. Marty Stuart produced this gem of an album that would bring a resurgence to Porter's career. Backed by Marty & His Superlatives and Buck Trent among others(Original electric banjo player of The Wagonmasters) Porter delivered some of his most incredible performances on WAGONMASTER and would celebrate some major milestones in his career leading up to to it's release.
On May 19th Porter would make history by performing at The Grand Ole Opry as all in attendance honored his 50th year as an official member of the Opry. Shortly after that historical performance WAGONMASTER was released to critical acclaim on June 5th 2007 by ANTI- Records. Amazing reviews (some of the best in Porter's career) followed and more monumental events were to follow. Along with maintaining his presence at The Opry, Porter also made an appearance at Safari Sam's in Hollywood on June 10th to celebrate the new album's release. July 24th 2007 would see Porter perform with rockers The White Stripes at Madison Square Gardens and as big of a triumph as this would be for any 79yr. old country singer, Porter would make history again the very next day. On July 25th 2007 Porter appeared on The David Letterman Show to perform his song "Albert Erving" to a thrilled live audience. Letterman gave a fitting introduction for Porter in condemning today's country music & proclaiming Porter to be "Real Country Music". The crowd took to an uproar of applause at the song's conclusion & obviously wanted more. Rave reviews would follow each of Porter's live performances in 2007 & WAGONMASTER would garner the best album reviews of Porter's career. Porter was amazed to meet a new generation of fans and with tears in his eyes had this to say after his Madison Square Gardens performance- "The young people I met backstage, some of them were 20 years old. They wanted to get my autograph and tell me they really liked me. If only they knew how that made me feel, like a new breath of fresh air. To have new fans now is a tremendous thing."
Porter celebrated his 80th birthday on August 12th of 2007 in the wake of arguably the most incredible year of his 50+ year career in country music.
On October 15th Porter was admitted to the hospital due to a health ailment which would sadly be diagnosed as lung cancer. After being released to Hospice Care Porter succumbed to the illness on October 28th 2007. The visitation was held at Woodlawn Cemetery on October 31st and was followed by Porter's Funeral the next day at The Grand Ole Opry House. Both services were open to the public and were attended by Porter's family and friends, adoring fans & Porter's musical contemporaries both young and old. The Funeral was presided by Dr. Jerry Sutton and featured heart warming performances by Marty Stuart & His Superlatives, Wagonmasters- Danny Davis, Rick "LD" Money & Fred Newell, The Whites, Patty Loveless, Ricky Skaggs, Dolly Parton, Vince Gill, The Carol Lee Singers & Duane Allen of The Oakridge Boys. Other Opry Members & stars in attendance included Little Jimmy Dickens, George Jones, Jim Ed Brown, Charlie Louvin, Trisha Yearwood, Travis Tritt & Garth Brooks.
Porter Wagoner was known by many as "The Thin Man From The West Plains", "The King of Country Gospel" & "Mr. Grand Ole Opry" and his contributions to country music are truly immeasurable.
Bio information taken from
PORTER WAGONER.COM
& written by James Hunnicutt.
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