Known As Mr. Grand Ole Opry, this year marks the 50th Anniversary for Porter Wagoner at the Grand Ole Opry. Known for his flashy Nudie suits and long career, Porter has become one the most highly respected entertainers to date. Growing up in West Plains, Missouri, Porter lived and worked on his family's farm, and also worked in a local market due to financial strain. After learning to play the guitar at a young age, he would bring his guitar to work, and when it wasn't busy, he would bring it out and sing for the owner and customers while they were shopping. The owner of the market saw this as a marketing tool, and sponsored Porter for a fifteen minute radio segment on a local station. This later paid off for him, because is got him noticed by another station, which led to a weekly show at KWTO in Springfield, Missouri.
Porter eventually moved to Nashville, Tennessee with his wife and three children. On February 23, 1957, The Grand Ole Opry asked him to become a member of their grand establishment. In 1960, Porter signed on to do his own syndicated TV show called The Porter Wagoner Show. In the later 1960's, it was covered by more than eighty stations, and then over one hundred by the 1970's. In that twenty year span, numerous guests on his show included newcomers Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings. Porter recruited numerous stars for his show, and female duet partners. The two most popular are Norma Jean and legendary Dolly Parton. Porter and Dolly were a force within themselves. They went on to record 14 Top 10 hits, and were nominated numerous times for Duet of the Year at the Country Music Awards.
To this day, Porter is an active member in the country music world, and he is set to release his latest album June 5th called The Wagonmaster. Porter is still a fan favorite on the Grand Ole Opry, and tours occasionally. With such a long and diverse career, it is obvious why Porter is one of country's greats. He is also known for bringing legendary R&B singer James Brown to the Opry stage in 1979.
Top Songs:
- 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)
- The Green, Green Grass Of Home (#4, 1965)
- Skidrow Joe (#3,1965-1966)
- The Cold Hard Facts Of Life (#2, 1967)
- The Carrol County Accident (#2, 1969)
- Please Don't Stop Loving Me (#1, 1974, with Dolly Parton)
Movies:
- Honkytonk Man (Starring Clint Eastwood, 1982)
Porter Wagoner Recommendations:
- Wagonmaster (Release date June 5, 2007)
- Thin Man From The West Plains: BOX SET
- Porter Wagoner: The Best Of Porter Wagoner DVD