Obit: Porter Wagoner, Oct. 28, 2007

Subject: Obit: Porter Wagoner, Oct. 28, 2007
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 29 Oct 07 - 12:28 AM

Country Star Porter Wagoner, 80, Dies

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Porter Wagoner, the rhinestone-clad Grand Ole Opry star who helped launch the career of Dolly Parton by hiring her as his duet partner, died Sunday. He was 80.

Wagoner, who had survived an abdominal aneurysm in 2006, was hospitalized again in October 2007 and his publicist disclosed he had lung cancer. He died at 8:25 p.m. CDT in a Nashville hospice, a spokeswoman for the Grand Ole Opry said.

"The Grand Ole Opry family is deeply saddened by the news of the passing of our dear friend, Porter Wagoner," said Pete Fisher, vice president and general manager of the Opry. "His passion for the Opry and all of country music was truly immeasurable. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family at this difficult time."

His illness came after a comeback that saw him recording again and gaining new fans even as he reached his 80s.

In May 2007 he celebrated his 50th year in the Opry. After years without a recording contract, he also signed with ANTI- records, an eclectic Los Angeles label best known for alt-rock acts like Tom Waits, Nick Cave and Neko Case.

The CD "Wagonmaster," produced with Marty Stuart, was released in June 2007 and earned Wagoner some of the best reviews of his career. Over the summer, he also was the opening act for the influential rock duo White Stripes at a sold-out show at New York's Madison Square Garden.

"I was thinking while on stage last night, 'This is the biggest, most well-known arena in the country, and here I am performing at it,'" he told The Associated Press at the time.

The Missouri-born Wagoner signed with RCA Records in 1955 and joined the Opry in 1957. "It's the greatest place in the world to have a career in country music," he said in 1997.

His showmanship, rhinestone suits and pompadoured hair made him famous, with his own syndicated TV show, "The Porter Wagoner Show," for 21 years beginning in 1960. It was one of the first syndicated shows to come out of Nashville, and it set a pattern for many others.

"Some shows are mechanical, but ours was not polished and slick," he said in 1982.

Among his hits, many of which he wrote or co-wrote, were "Carroll County Accident," "A Satisfied Mind," "Company's Comin'," "Skid Row Joe," "Misery Loves Company" and "Green Green Grass of Home."

The songs often told stories of tragedy or despair. In "Carroll County Accident," a married man having an affair is killed in a car crash; "Skid Row Joe" deals with a once-famous singer who's lost everything.

In 2002, Wagoner was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame.

To many music fans, though, he was best known as the man who boosted Parton's career. He had hired the 21-year-old singer as his duet partner in 1967, when she was just beginning to gain notice through songs such as "Dumb Blonde."

They were the Country Music Association's duo of the year in 1970 and 1971, recording hit duets including "The Last Thing on My Mind."

Parton's solo country records, such as her autobiographical "Coat of Many Colors," also began climbing the charts in the early 1970s. She wrote the pop standard "I Will Always Love You" in 1973 after Wagoner suggested she shift from story songs to focus on love songs.

The two quit singing duets in 1974 and she went on to wide stardom with pop hits and movies such as "9 to 5," whose theme song was also a hit for her. Wagoner sued her for $3 million in assets, but they settled out of court in 1980. He said later they were always friendly, "but it's a fact that when you're involved with attorneys and companies that have them on retainer, it makes a different story."

At a charity roast for Wagoner in 1995, she explained the breakup this way: "We split over creative differences. I was creative, and Porter was different."

He said in a 1982 Associated Press interview that his show "was a training ground for her; she learned a great deal and I exposed her to very important people and the country music fans."

She was present at the ceremony in May 2007 honoring Wagoner on his silver anniversary with the Opry. At the time, he called Parton "one of my best friends today." She also visited him in the hospital as he battled cancer.

Wagoner was born in West Plains, Mo., and became known as "The Thin Man From West Plains" because of his lanky frame. He recalled that he spent hours as a child pretending to be an Opry performer, using a tree stump as a stage.

He started in radio, then became a regular on the "Ozark Jubilee," one of the first televised national country music shows. On the Opry since 1957, he joined Roy Acuff and other onetime idols.

At one point his wardrobe included more than 60 handmade rhinestone suits.

"Rhinestone suits are just beautiful under the lights," he said. "They've become a big part of my career. I get more compliments on my outfits than any other entertainer - except for Liberace."

While he continued with the Opry, and even had a small part in the 1982 movie "Honky Tonk Man" starring Clint Eastwood, his recording career dried up in the 1980s.

"I stopped making records because I didn't like the way they were wanting me to record," he said. "When RCA dropped me from the label, I didn't really care about making records for another label because I didn't have any say in what they would release and how they would make the records and so forth."

After his New York show in 2007, tears came to his eyes as he recalled the reaction.

"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."

Subject: RE: Obit: Porter Wagoner, Oct. 28, 2007
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 29 Oct 07 - 12:31 AM

I'm not in general a fan of country music, but I posted this because his is a name that is probably recognized around the world.

SRS

Subject: RE: Obit: Porter Wagoner, Oct. 28, 2007
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 29 Oct 07 - 12:48 AM

Never forget his TV show with "Pretty Miss Dolly Parton" and the Stoneman Family. Rest in peace, Porter.

Subject: RE: Obit: Porter Wagoner, Oct. 28, 2007
From: Wesley S
Date: 29 Oct 07 - 10:32 AM

I'd forgotten that he helped write "Satisfied Mind" and "The Green Green Grass of Home". Both classic songs even though they were played to death. I remember seeing his TV when I was young. It helped me to see the appeal of country music.

Subject: RE: Obit: Porter Wagoner, Oct. 28, 2007
From: GUEST,Bob Ryszkiewicz
Date: 29 Oct 07 - 11:33 AM

Rest in Peace...

Subject: RE: Obit: Porter Wagoner, Oct. 28, 2007
From: M.Ted
Date: 29 Oct 07 - 11:51 AM

I watched his show all the time when I was growing up. Loved the music, the man, and the Nudie suits. He was one of the all-time greats in country music. His television program did a lot to spread the popularity of country music, maybe more than anything else. I always considered him to be kind of a delineator--anybody might like Kenny Rogers, or Johnny Cash, because they crossed over into the pop arena a lot, but if you like Porter Wagoner, you like country music--

Subject: RE: Obit: Porter Wagoner, Oct. 28, 2007
From: Gern
Date: 29 Oct 07 - 12:06 PM

Yes, in northern Kentucky his TV show was on right after dinner, and most homes tuned in. Before Dolly, he had other blonde talents duet with him, such as unheard-ofs Lynn Anderson and Tammy Wynette. Porter was always way too rhinestoney for me, and there seemed to be bad blood between him and Dolly that wasn';t resolved until late in life. I remember in 1971 going to the Ole Opry at the Ryman and being disappointed with the huge line to get in. A woman at a side door said to me, "would you like to look inside?" I said sure, and she let me watch as Porter and Dolly sang "If Teardrops were Pennies." The only time I saw the real Opry.

Subject: RE: Obit: Porter Wagoner, Oct. 28, 2007
From: Cruiser
Date: 29 Oct 07 - 12:26 PM

L EJ, that was "Pretty Miss Norma Jean". Miss Parton was known for different assets, big hair wigs being among them…

Subject: RE: Obit: Porter Wagoner, Oct. 28, 2007
From: Arkie
Date: 29 Oct 07 - 07:30 PM

I liked Porter's last two recordings better than the early ones but he did have some songs that are still among my favorites and are certainly country classics.   One other thing I really appreciated was that he continued through his career to record songs of folks he knew in the Ozarks way back in the early days such as Johnny Mullins' Companys Coming, Hugh Ashley's If Jesus Came To Your House, and a number of songs by Damon Black.

Subject: RE: Obit: Porter Wagoner, Oct. 28, 2007
From: Fortunato
Date: 29 Oct 07 - 09:15 PM

Porter and his music and his show certainly influenced my view of country music.

Subject: RE: Obit: Porter Wagoner, Oct. 28, 2007
From: John of the Hill
Date: 29 Oct 07 - 09:35 PM

When I was a kid, my dad always had a chore for me on Saturdays, but we were always through in time to watch The Porter Wagoner Show. Porter not only boosted the careers of Dolly Parton and Mel Tillis, he also gave exposure to many performers who were being overlooked by the late '60s and the '70s. Many of the greats that I had only heard on Dad's albums, I first saw on Porter's show, Faron Young, Merle Travis, Hank Snow, Bill Monroe and many others. Now that those shows are being repeated on RFD-TV here in the States, I often find myself calling my son into the room for a taste of country music history. I have always appreciated Porter Wagoner for that education as well as his own recordings.

John

Subject: RE: Obit: Porter Wagoner, Oct. 28, 2007
From: Beer
Date: 29 Oct 07 - 09:42 PM

Another Country Legend gone.
Rest well and condolences to his family and many friends.
Beer (adrien)

Subject: RE: Obit: Porter Wagoner, Oct. 28, 2007
From: open mike
Date: 30 Oct 07 - 03:01 AM

see www.porterwagoner.net -- lots of sound clips of Porter and friends.

by the way-
A SATISFIED MIND was written by J. H. "Red" Hayes and Jack Rhodes

Subject: RE: Obit: Porter Wagoner, Oct. 28, 2007
From: catspaw49
Date: 30 Oct 07 - 05:53 AM

I watched as a kid because he was as much a "spectacle" to me as a C-W artist. The pompahair, cowboy boots, and sequin laden nudie suits, onthe tall and lanky frame with matching face was a lot to take. At the height of his career I read he himself used the total production from 2 of the 19 sequin mines in the Nashville area.

Sorry......He added to the rich fabric of C-W and certainly aided the careers of many future stars.   RIP

Spaw

Subject: RE: Obit: Porter Wagoner, Oct. 28, 2007
From: Sandy Mc Lean
Date: 30 Oct 07 - 07:45 AM

Porter was very faithful to The Opry and performed there at my only visit just three years or so ago. He sang " An Old Log Cabin For Sale" which was always my favorite of his.
It is sad to see his generation of performers so quickly die off,because true country music is leaving with them. To quote George Jones: "Who's going to fill their shoes?"
R.I.P.

Subject: RE: Obit: Porter Wagoner, Oct. 28, 2007
From: M.Ted
Date: 30 Oct 07 - 11:58 AM

Spaw--Nudie's tailor shop was in North Hollywood, not Nashville. I've always maintained that the difference between folk music and country music was a Nudie suit--Porter probably did as much, or more traditional music as most "folk singers"--and his style certainly had more authenticity than the average folk performer.

Subject: RE: Obit: Porter Wagoner, Oct. 28, 2007
From: catspaw49
Date: 30 Oct 07 - 02:41 PM

LOL....True, true, true.

But the Sequin Mines were in Nashville. Sadly most of them went bust in the early 90's and the few remaining mines around the US are barely making it. Also, the influx of Chinese lead sequins has had a major impact.

Its rumored that the problems of Brittney Spears are related lead poisoning from a Chinese sequined jock strap owned by Kevin Federline.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Obit: Porter Wagoner, Oct. 28, 2007
From: GUEST,br
Date: 30 Oct 07 - 03:14 PM

so long wagon master you brought a lot of joy to many many people and you helped a lot of pickers and singers along the way may god smile on your soul rest in peace

Subject: RE: Obit: Porter Wagoner, Oct. 28, 2007
From: GUEST,Jeff
Date: 30 Oct 07 - 04:23 PM

Porter Wagoner, Little Jimmy Dickens, Bill Monroe, Earl Scruggs, Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson...on and on. American originals. God bless Marty Stuart and his unceasing efforts to record w/these one of a kind singers and document their timelessly valid artistry.

Subject: RE: Obit: Porter Wagoner, Oct. 28, 2007
From: M.Ted
Date: 30 Oct 07 - 06:12 PM

When you say "bust" and "Nashville", everyone knows you're not talking about the Ryman Auditorium--

Subject: RE: Obit: Porter Wagoner, Oct. 28, 2007
From: GUEST,Flatpick
Date: 30 Oct 07 - 07:50 PM

Farewell Porter,
You were maybe the first country artiste to record 'concept' albums.
"Soul of a Convict","Cold Hard Fact of Life", etc. Usually great material, wrote great stuff, influenced me in my early days on the RCA Country Guitar series of EPs.
Gonna miss you, you were great. Never saw you live but remember the impact you had on me with "Fred and Joe and Bill" and just about every track after that.
RIP.