Gene Watson Peer's Quote from Porter Wagoner: March 2006
Gene Watson's peers within the country music industry believe in the sheer talent of this unassuming man from east Texas, so much so that Gene is regarded by many of them as 'the singer's singer' - and rightly so!
All of Gene Watson's Peers who were contacted during 2006 were most gracious with their time and words. It is here, within this special part of the Gene Watson Fan Site, that you have an opportunity to read a quote from Porter Wagoner, which he submitted to this site on Wednesday 22 March 2006.
Sean Brady would like to take this opportunity to say 'thank you' to Porter Wagoner who has made a special contribution to a unique part of this online 'celebration of a Lone Star Hero'.
Porter Wagoner
This quote was submitted on Wednesday 22 March 2006.
'I am proud to send a quote about my friend Gene Watson.
Gene is a singers singer. I'm so glad that he recorded one of my songs, 'Tennessee Sunshine', during his career.
It's always a thrill to introduce Gene Watson at the Grand Ole Opry'.
Thank you, Porter Wagoner, for your support of Gene Watson.
About Porter Wagoner...
Porter Wagoner was born Porter Wayne Wagoner on Friday 12 August 1927 of Irish-German heritage in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri near the Arkansas border and was a country music icon.
The 'Thin Man from West Plains' (Missouri) was renowned for his grand showmanship, his rhinestone suits, his loyalty to the Grand Ole Opry, his championing of Dolly Parton, his unique singing voice, his exquisite recitations, his song-writing and his record production.
Porter Wagoner's first band, The Blue Ridge Boys, performed on radio station KWPM from a butcher shop in his native West Plains, Missouri where Porter Wagoner cut meat. Porter Wagoner's big break came in 1951, when he was hired as a performer by radio station KWTO in Springfield, Missouri. This led to a contract with RCA Records. With lagging sales, Porter Wagoner and his trio played schoolhouses for the gate proceeds.
In 1953, Porter Wagoner's song 'Trademark' became a hit for Carl Smith (Tuesday 15 March 1927 - Saturday 16 January 2010) on Columbia Records in 1955, which was followed by a few hits of his own on RCA Records. Porter Wagoner was a featured performer on ABC-TV's 'Ozark Jubilee' and moved to Nashville, joining the Grand Ole Opry in 1957.
Porter Wagoner's eighty-one charted records included the following:
'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)
'The Carroll County accident' (No.2, 1968–1969)
Among Porter Wagoner's hit duets with Dolly Parton were the following tracks:
'The Last Thing On My Mind' (written by Tom Paxton) (No.7, 1967)
'We'll Get Ahead Someday' (1968)
'Just Someone I Used To Know' (1969)
'Better Move It On Home' (1971)
'The Right Combination' (1972)
'Please Don't Stop Loving Me' (No.1 for one week in October 1974)
'Making Plans' (No.2, 1980)
Porter Wagoner also won three Grammy Awards for his gospel recordings.
In 1967, Dolly Parton became a member of Porter Wagoner's entourage and they immediately became a major force within country music. They charted twenty-one singles on the Billboard country music singles chart between October 1967 and October 1974, fourteen of which reached the Billboard Top 10.
'The Porter Wagoner Show' ran on syndicated television from 1960 until 1981. There were 686 thirty-minute episodes filmed, the first 104 being shot in black and white, the remainder in colour. At its peak, it was featured in over one hundred markets, with an average viewership of over three million.
Porter Wagoner's stage alter ego was Skid Row Joe. The regular cast included singer Norma Jean Beasler (1960-1967), singer Dolly Parton (1967-1974), singer Mel Tillis, comedian/stand-up bass player Speck Rhodes, announcer Don Howser and the house band, The Wagonmasters.
Porter Wagoner brought James Brown to the Grand Ole Opry, produced a rhythm and blues album for Joe Simon and appeared in the Clint Eastwood film 'Honkytonk Man'.
During the mid 1980s, Porter Wagoner formed an all girl group called The Right Combination, which was named after one of Porter and Dolly Parton's hit records.
In April 1980, Merle Haggard saw the release of 'The Way I Am' (MCA Records, 1980), which was produced by Porter Wagoner, Don Gant and Fuzzy Owen, and included one track which was a hit on the Billboard country music singles chart:
'The Way I Am' (written by Sonny Throckmorton) (No.2, 1980)
Merle Haggard's 'The Way I Am' (MCA Records, 1980) also included the following tracks:
'Sky-Bo' (written by Merle Haggard)
'No One To Sing For (But The Band)' (written by Merle Haggard)
'Remember Me (I'm The One Who Loves You)', which was written by Stuart Hamblen (Tuesday 20 October 1908 - Wednesday 8 March 1989)
'Life's Just Not The Way It Used To Be' (written by Merle Haggard)
'Wake Up' (written by Merle Haggard)
'Where Have You Been' (written by Leona Williams)
'Take Me Back And Try Me One More Time', which was written by Ernest Tubb (Monday 9 February 1914 - Thursday 6 September 1984)
'I'll Always Be Glad To Take You Back', which was written by Ernest Tubb (Monday 9 February 1914 - Thursday 6 September 1984)
'It Makes No Difference Now', which was written by Jimmie Davis (11 September 1899 - Sunday 5 November 2000) and Floyd Tillman (Tuesday 8 December 1914 - Friday 22 August 2003)
'It's Been So Long, Darling' , which was written by Ernest Tubb (Monday 9 February 1914 - Thursday 6 September 1984)
During the 1990s, Porter Wagoner hosted 'Opry Backstage' on the Nashville Network where he interviewed guests.
Though Dolly Parton's departure caused some animosity on both sides, the two reconciled in the late 1980s and appeared together a number of times in the following years; it was Dolly Parton who announced the induction of Porter Wagoner into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2002.
On Tuesday 1 May 2001, Merle Haggard saw the release of 'Cabin In The Hills' (Hag Records, 2001), a Bakersfield-style collection of gospel music, either written or arranged by Merle Haggard, with the exception of Iris Dement's sublime 'Shores Of Jordan' and Brumley & Brumley's 'This World Is Not My Home'.
The album was self-produced and was released on Merle Haggard's own label, Hag Records, and Merle Haggard was joined on dobro and steel guitar by Norman Hamlet, and on vocals by Porter Wagoner (Friday 12 August 1927 - Sunday 28 October 2007) and Bonnie Owens (Tuesday 1 October 1929 - Monday 24 April 2006).
In January 2006, Porter Wagoner saw the release of his 'Gospel 2006' album. The single, 'The Dream (A True Story)' received great reviews, along with airplay from many of the top classic and Christian country radio stations across the United States.
On Friday 14 July 2006, Porter Wagoner was hospitalized and underwent surgery for an abdominal aneurysm.
Porter Wagoner was honoured, on Saturday 19 May 2007, at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville for both his fifty years of membership and his 80th birthday. This event was telecast on GAC's 'Grand Ole Opry Live' that day with artists such as Marty Stuart, Dolly Parton and Patty Loveless. Grand Ole Opry Live host Nan Kelley was part of the birthday celebration as well.
On Tuesday 5 June 2007, Porter Wagoner saw the release of his final album; 'Wagonmaster' (Anti Records, 2007) was produced by Marty Stuart for the Anti Records label, received the best reviews of his career and briefly charted on the country charts.
Porter Wagoner's 'Wagonmaster' (Anti Records, 2007) included two Shawn Camp compositions, 'A Place To Hang My Hat' and 'Hotwired'.
Porter Wagoner also toured during the summer of 2007 to promote 'Wagonmaster' (Anti Records, 2007). One of these was opening for the rock group The White Stripes at a sold-out concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
On Friday 19 October 2007, Porter Wagoner's publicist Darlene Bieber announced that the singer had been hospitalised and was in very serious condition. WSMV-TV reported that Porter Wagoner was admitted earlier that week for observation from an illness. Bieber gave no further information but said that the country star was asking for prayers from his family and fans.
On Sunday 21 October 2007, his publicist confirmed that Porter Wagoner had been diagnosed with lung cancer. On Friday 26 October 2007, Porter Wagoner was released into hospice care.
Porter Wagoner passed away two days later, on Sunday 28 October 2007, in Nashville.
Porter Wagoner's funeral was held on Thursday 1 November 2007 at the Grand Ole Opry House and was followed by internment at the Woodlawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Nashville.
Up until his illness and death, Porter Wagoner had appeared regularly on the hallowed stage of the Grand Ole Opry and had toured actively. Porter's long-time duet partner and friend, now the legendary (with much thanks to him) Dolly Parton, performed a concert at her Tennessee theme park Dollywood in his honour after his death.
Dolly Parton recorded Porter Wagoner's 'If I Lose My Mind' and included the track on 'Coat of Many Colours' (RCA Records, 1971).
Dolly Parton recorded Porter Wagoner's 'Mystery Of The Mystery' and included the track on 'Coat of Many Colours' (RCA Records, 1971).
Dolly Parton recorded Porter Wagoner's 'Way I See You' and included the track on 'Coat of Many Colours' (RCA Records, 1971).
Dolly Parton recorded Porter Wagoner's 'Lot Of You Left In Me' (co-written with Dolly Parton) and included the track on 'Touch Your Woman' (RCA Records, 1972).
Dolly Parton recorded Porter Wagoner's 'Mission Chapel Memories' (co-written with Dolly Parton) and included the track on 'Touch Your Woman' (RCA Records, 1972).
Dolly Parton recorded Porter Wagoner's 'Loneliness Found Me' and included the track on 'Touch Your Woman' (RCA Records, 1972).
Dolly Parton recorded Porter Wagoner's 'Lonely Comin' Down' and included the track on 'My Favourite Songwriter' (RCA Records, 1972).
Dolly Parton recorded Porter Wagoner's 'Do You Hear The Robins Sing' and included the track on 'My Favourite Songwriter' (RCA Records, 1972).
Dolly Parton recorded Porter Wagoner's 'What Ain't To Be Just Might Happen' and included the track on 'My Favourite Songwriter' (RCA Records, 1972).
Dolly Parton recorded Porter Wagoner's 'Bird That Never Flew' and included the track on 'My Favourite Songwriter' (RCA Records, 1972).
Dolly Parton recorded Porter Wagoner's 'Comes And Goes' and included the track on 'My Favourite Songwriter' (RCA Records, 1972).
Dolly Parton recorded Porter Wagoner's 'Washday Blues' and included the track on 'My Favourite Songwriter' (RCA Records, 1972); the track reached No.20 on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1972.
Dolly Parton recorded Porter Wagoner's 'When I Sing For Him' and included the track on 'My Favourite Songwriter' (RCA Records, 1972).
Dolly Parton recorded Porter Wagoner's 'He Left Me Love' and included the track on 'My Favourite Songwriter' (RCA Records, 1972).
Dolly Parton recorded Porter Wagoner's 'He's Everywhere' and included the track on 'My Favourite Songwriter' (RCA Records, 1972).
Dolly Parton recorded Porter Wagoner's 'Still On Your Mind' and included the track on 'My Favourite Songwriter' (RCA Records, 1972).
Connie Smith recorded Porter Wagoner's 'When I Sing For Him' and included the track on 'God Is Abundant' (Columbia Records, 1973).
Jim Ed Brown recorded Porter Wagoner's 'Tender Touch Of Love' and included the track on 'Barrooms & Pop A Tops' (RCA Records, 1973).
Dolly Parton recorded Porter Wagoner's 'Afraid To Love And Afraid Of Dying' and included the track on 'Bubbling Over' (RCA Records, 1973).
Dolly Parton recorded Porter Wagoner's 'Love, You're So Beautiful Tonight' and included the track on 'Bubbling Over' (RCA Records, 1973).
Gene Watson recorded Porter Wagoner's 'Tennessee Sunshine' and included the track on 'Paper Rosie' (Capitol Records, 1977).
Mandy Barnett recorded Porter Wagoner's 'Trademark' (co-written with Gary Walker) and included the track on 'I've Got a Right to Cry' (Sire Records, 1999).
Jennifer Weatherly recorded Porter Wagoner's 'When I Sing For Him' and included the track on 'In The Name Of Love' (JK Records, 2000).
Patty Loveless recorded Porter Wagoner's 'The Pain Of Loving You' (co-written with Dolly Parton) and included the track on 'Sleepless Nights' (Saguaro Records, 2009).
Visit Porter Wagoner's Official MySpace Site