RIP: Porter Wagoner

Submitted by bizgrrl on Mon, 2007/10/29 - 8:49am

Porter Wagoner has gone to his maker. He was 80.

Many Tennesseans, of a certain age, will definitely remember Mr. Wagoner and his TV show. He brought Dolly Parton along with a lot of great country/western/gospel music to our living rooms. Apparently he influenced the Grateful Dead as well.

"We (the Dead) were getting off of that psychedelic run that we were on,” said Hunter, who watched the show each week with Garcia in Northern California. “We had evolved from bluegrass and old-timey bands, but what we didn’t know was country & western, or whatever it was that Dolly and Porter were doing. So a little bit of Nashville moved into the Bay Area, and it was like nothing I’d ever seen.”

Hunter eventually made his way backstage at the Opry, where he told that story to Mr. Wagoner, who smiled and said, “Well, I never did hear nothing by that Grateful Dead that I didn’t like.”

H/T Sharon Cobb.

Porter Wagner

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RIP

Submitted by Elrod on Mon, 2007/10/29 - 10:08am.

Porter Wagoner was one of the best. His recent comeback album was quite good as well. Country music has always had its greats and its embarrassments. Wagoner was always one of the better ones. Rest in peace.

I'll always remember Porter

Submitted by CBT on Mon, 2007/10/29 - 5:15pm.

I'll always remember Porter Wagoner with nudies suits and pompadour hair (perms in later years, but always nudies suits, many with "Thanks" in rhinestones on the inside which he would open and flash to the audience).

He had hits with 'Green, Green Grass of Home', 'The Carroll County Accident' and others. I don't think Porter ever received enough credit for introducing country music to the nation via television. Dolly Parton leaving him for superstardom always seemed to be a turning point for Porter. He will be missed.

We will always love you,

Submitted by Andy Axel on Tue, 2007/10/30 - 10:28pm.

We will always love you, Wagonmaster.

____________________________

"Respect mah authoritah!" - Fred Cartman Thompson

Porter Wagner

Submitted by Donna Dominic (not verified) on Thu, 2007/11/01 - 4:59pm.

Porter Wagner and Dolly Parton were a great influence in my life. They were one of my favorite country duets and I still love to listen to their music today. I think Dolly owes her career to Porter, I remember when she started out on his tv show. I love them both and Porter will be sadly missed.

Porter Wagner

Submitted by Linda Wright (not verified) on Fri, 2007/11/02 - 11:24am.

I have watched Porter since I was a young girl, and he will be missed greatly..May God Bless and watch over his loved ones in their time of need..My heart goes out to all who loved him for being the person he was, and for the great music her gave to us..His legacy I know will live for many many years to come...God bless, Linda

Porter Wagner

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 2007/11/03 - 6:06am.

I remember seeing Porter and Dolly at a concert in N.C. in 1967. Wow...40 years ago, and it seems like yesterday. Their voices blended well together, and he will be missed by all the country music fans that followed and listened to him over the years. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this time. May you rest in peace Porter.

I well remember being a kid

Submitted by Pam Strickland on Sun, 2007/11/04 - 4:13pm.

I well remember being a kid and watching The Porter Wagner Show. At the time, I wouldn't have admitted it because it wasn't cool, but I did love it immensely, and I was very happy to see him on Letterman recently. Very cool.

Pam Strickland

"We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be." ~Kurt Vonnegut

THANK YOU PORTER FOR ALL THE

Submitted by cowboy (not verified) on Mon, 2007/11/05 - 1:56pm.

THANK YOU PORTER FOR ALL THE GOOD MUSIC AND THE GOOD SMILES AND JOKES WE WILL MISS YOU AND SO WILL MILLIONS MORE. THERE IS BETTER MUSIC IN HEAVEN THAN HERE ON EARTH..........

Porter Wagner Song

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 2007/11/05 - 10:54pm.

I remember watching The Porter Wagner Show as a young girl with my parents. He song a song about a man singing in the church choir. One day a church member came to his house and told him that he would not be needed to sing in the choir anymore, cause he sung off key. He then told the chuch member that was ok, cause when he got to heaven he could sing all he wanted and he would not be thrown out of the choir.

Does anyone know the name of this song?