Porter wagoner
Porter Wayne Wagoner (born August 12, 1927 in West Plains , Missouri , † October 28, 2007 in Nashville ) was an American country singer.
Life
Childhood and youth
Porter Wagoner grew up with his siblings in poor conditions on a farm in the Ozark Mountains . The family mostly listened to country stations on the radio at weekends and the Grand Ole Opry from Nashville on Saturdays . Every now and then, the family also drove to country entertainment shows in the nearby town of West Plains, where Wagoner saw bluegrass musician Bill Monroe live several times .
His father suffered from arthritis and was unable to work. Wagoner had to help out in the field as a teenager. When the brother died, the family gave up the farm and moved to West Plains. Here, Wagoner earned money in various temporary jobs to support the family. Among other things, he worked as an assistant to a meat and sausage dealer. In his spare time he played country songs on guitar. His boss became aware of his talent while singing at work and referred him to the local radio station KWPM. Soon the shows of his first band The Blue Ridge Boys were broadcast live from the butcher shop.
The successful years
In 1951 he was hired by the larger radio station KWTO in Springfield, Missouri . In the early 1950s, Red Foley became aware of the young talent and gave him a spot on his Ozark Jubilee show, which was broadcast on both radio and television. In 1951, RCA became aware of Wagoner and offered him a record deal.
Wagoner's first singles were unsuccessful, but producer Steve Sholes showed patience, and so Wagoner hit the top 10 with Company's Comin in 1954 and A Satisfied Mind a year later . More hits followed; In 1957, Wagoner moved to Nashville , where he joined the Grand Ole Opry that same year . His no- nonsense honky tonk went down well, and he soon became one of the most popular stars there.
His success with the audience earned him his own television show in 1960, the Porter Wagoner Show , which was one of the most popular shows of the 1960s and at times was broadcast by more than a hundred stations across North America. His singing partner was Norma Jean , who was replaced in 1967 by the then unknown singer Dolly Parton . The duo achieved instant success. In 1968 they were named "Vocal Duo of the Year" at the CMA Awards .
Wagoner, whose record sales had been declining for a long time, got back to the top of the country charts; Parton, who wrote many of the common hits, soon tried to break away from the aging wagoner, which resulted in legal disputes. In 1974 they split up, but for a few years they still made records together.
The years after success
While Dolly Parton started an unprecedented world career, Porter Wagoner had no more hits without his singing partner and author. His television show ended in 1981, and a little later he lost his record deal. The attempt at a fresh start with the Warner Brothers label failed. In the meantime he had made a name for himself as a successful businessman and investor. He continued to perform and was highly respected in the country scene. In 2002 he was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame .
In 2007 Marty Stuart released the album “Wagonmaster” on the independent label ANTI-Records . It was supposed to bring Wagoner's music, similar to the late work of Johnny Cash, to a young, rock-oriented audience. In the summer of 2007 he opened a White Stripes concert in Madison Square Garden in New York .
Porter Wagoner died of lung cancer in Nashville on October 28, 2007 .
Discography (albums)
- 1956 - Satisfied Mind
- 1956 - Company's Comin '
- 1962 - A Slice Of Life-Songs Happy 'N' Sad
- 1962 - Porter Wagoner & Skeeter Davis Sing Duets
- 1963 - The Porter Wagoner Show
- 1963 - Y'All Come
- 1964 - Porter Wagoner In Person
- 1965 - The Bluegrass Story
- 1965 - Old Log Cabin For Sale
- 1965 - The Thin Man From The Plains
- 1966 - Your Old Love Letters (& Other Country Hits)
- 1966 - Live, On The Road-The Porter Wagoner Show
- 1966 - Confessions Of A Broken Man
- 1966 - I'm Day Dreamin 'Tonight
- 1967 - Soul Of A Convict And Other Great Prison Songs
- 1967 - The Cold Hard Facts Of Life
- 1967 - Porter Wagoner Sings Ballads Of Heart & Soul
- 1968 - Just Between You And Me
- 1968 - The Bottom Of The Bottle
- 1968 - Green Green Grass Of Home
- 1968 - Just The Two Of Us
- 1969 - Country Feeling
- 1969 - The Carroll County Accident
- 1969 - Me And My Boys
- 1969 - Always, Always
- 1970 Howdy, Neighbor, Howdy
- 1970 - You Got-ta Have A License
- 1970 - Once More
- 1971 - Two Of A Kind
- 1971 - Simple As I Am
- 1971 - Porter Wagoner Sings His Own
- 1971 - Blue Moon Of Kentucky
- 1972 - The Right Combination / Burning The Midnight Oil
- 1972 - What Ain't To Be, Just Might Happen
- 1972 - Ballads Of Love
- 1972 - Together Always
- 1972 - Experience Porter Wagoner
- 1973 - We Found It
- 1973 - I'll Keep On Lovin 'You
- 1973 - Love And Music
- 1973 - The Farmer
- 1973 - The Silent Kind
- 1974 - Tore Down
- 1974 - Porter 'N' Dolly
- 1974 - Highway Headin 'South
- 1975 - Sing Some Love Songs-Porter Wagoner
- 1975 Say Forever You'll Be Mine
- 1977 - Porter
- 1979 - Porter Wagoner Today
- 1982 - Down Home Country
- 1982 - Porter Wagoner-Natural Wonder
- 2002 - Unplugged
- 2007 - Wagonmaster
Web links
- Porter Wagoner in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Wagoner's website
- Porter Wagoner - artist portrait at Country.de (German)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Wagoner, porter |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Wagoner, Porter Wayne (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American country singer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | August 12, 1927 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | West Plains , Missouri |
| DATE OF DEATH | October 28, 2007 |
| Place of death | Nashville |