Porter Wagoners’ broad smile, flashy costume and memorable songs are the very image of a country music star. Indeed, he is an icon in the music industry. The “Thin Man From West Plains” (Missouri), is among the most recognized names and images in all of country music. His grand showmanship, his rhinestone suits, his loyalty to the Grand Ole Opry, his TV leadership, his championing of Dolly Parton, his unique singing voice, his exquisite recitations, his songwriting, and especially, his record production, have all culminated in the legacy that is Porter Wagoner. Porter Wayne Wagoner was born August 12, 1927 of Irish-German heritage in the Ozarks of Missouri near the Arkansas border. In 1949, Porter visited Nashville and witnessed Hank Williams singing “Lovesick Blues” at the Grand Ole Opry. By 1950, he was working in Vaughn’s butcher shop on the town square and singing (and reading commercials) on a 15-minute early morning show over local radio KWPM in his hometown. Executives from Springfield, Missouri’s KWTO radio station then recruited him for their station in September 1951. In 1952, Porter found himself recording his first RCA release, Williams’ “Settin’ The Woods On Fire”. 1953 brought Porter his first songwriting success with the Carl Smith hit, “Trademark”. During this time the Porter Wagoner Trio, with Don Warden (steel guitar) and Herschel “Speedy” Haworth (electric guitar) was formed and began touring. 1954 brought Porter his first top 10 hit with “Company’s Comin’”. “A Satisfied Mind” came next and went to number one for 4 weeks and stayed on the charts for over 8 months. In 1954, Porter became a part of the “Ozark Jubilee” and on February 23, 1957 he joined the “Grand Ole Opry” where he remains one of its most popular stars. Television has also been a major part of Porter's time in the public eye. He started the syndicated "Porter Wagoner Show" in 1960 and it remained on the air for an amazing 21 years airing in close to two hundred markets and seen by an estimated 3.5 million viewers. The "Porter Wagoner Show" was a key factor in popularizing country and gospel music across the United States. Throughout the 1960’s, there were lots of hit recordings and television work. In 1967, after seven magical years together, Pretty Miss Norma Jean left Porter’s show to get married. Early September of that year brought a fledging female singer named Dolly Parton as Norma’s replacement. In the next few years “Carrol County Accident” became a standout country hit and crossed into the pop charts, earning Porter a Grammy nomination and 1969 CMA “Song Of The Year” honors. Porter and Dolly duets became increasingly popular, earning nominations and awards from the Grammys, CMA, ACM, MCN and a host of other awards shows. In 1965, he helped create another country and pop standard, “Green, Green Grass Of Home”. There have been over 500 versions, but Porter’s was the first hit. Porter’s career was on a definite upswing in 1969, when he won his third Grammy for “Best Gospel Performance” with the Blackwood Brothers. The 1970’s brought more hit records (with Dolly and alone) and more television. In 1979, he hosted “The Godfather Of Soul”, James Brown at the Grand Ole Opry. In the 1980’s Porter landed a role in the movie, “Honkytonk Man” with Clint Eastwood. The 1990’s brought the Nashville Network and even more television work and appearances on the Grand Ole Opry for Porter. With the new millennium under way, Porter received his highest accolade with his induction into the Country Music Hall Of Fame in 2002. Porter has been awarded four Grammy awards. Three of which were won for his work in gospel music. Gospel music has, in fact, always been at the heart and soul of his legacy. He began recording again after many years and in 2004, Gusto/King Records’ owner recognized him as the “King Of Country Gospel”. “22 Grand Old Gospel 2004”, became one of the best-selling gospel CD’s in the Gusto/King/Tee Vee music catalog. Dolly stated “it’s one of the best albums I have ever heard, bar none…I’ll enjoy this forever”. The follow-up collection, “18 Grand Old Gospel 2005”, released in January 2005, includes several songs written by Porter himself. Also featured on both collections are duets with Porters current singing partner, Pam Gadd. In 2004 Porter and Pam recorded “Something To Brag About” giving some of country music’s most classic songs their own spin. The CD received glowing reviews in 2005, Also that year, Porter recorded a collection of his “20 All Time Greatest Hits” for Gusto/King. He revisited all the classics we know him for. “A Satisfied Mind”, “Carroll County Accident”, “Skid Row Joe”, “Trouble In The Amen Corner”, “Company’s Comin’”, “Green, Green Grass Of Home”, “Ole Slew Foot”, “The Cold Hard Facts Of Life”, “Sunny Side Of The Mountain” and all the recordings that helped to make him a legend. January 2006 brought the third installment in the highly successful recordings with a country/gospel flavor. "Gospel 2006" and the first single, "The Dream (A True Story)" is getting great reviews, charting positions and airplay from many top Classic and Christian Country radio stations all across America. Porter is not one to brag, but he is widely acknowledged by new country performers as the epitome of showmanship. Those who are truly trying to learn the business, watch him to see how he puts on a total show, making everyone in the audience feel special. He wouldn’t say he’s doing anything special, he’s just being himself. Porter became ill in early October, 2007, and was admitted to the hospital on October 15. He was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer, and passed away peacefully on October 28, 2007, at 8:25PM Central Time. Country music lovers and the Grand Ole Opry will miss not only Porter's music, but also his stage presence and his infectious smile. ### www.PorterWagoner.com Porter Wagoner Enterprises, PO Box 290785, Nashville, TN 37229. 615-885-8045. For additional information contact Amy Brakefield, Media Relations And Music Promotions, Gusto-King Records, 1900 Elm Hill Pike, Nashville, TN 37210. AmyB@kingrecords.com 615-889-8000 For wholesale sales information contact Terry Jones, IMG, Inc., 1900 Elm Hill Pike, Nashville, TN 37210. TerryJ@kingrecords.com 615-889-8000 or 800-251-4040. ------------------------------------------------------------ PORTER WAGONER – BIO #2 Porter Wagoner b. Howell County, Missouri, August 12, 1927 Elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame® 2002 Noted for his onstage jokes, blonde pompadour, rhinestone-studded stage wardrobe, and controversial partnership with Dolly Parton, Porter Wagoner has become one of country music’s elder statesmen in the 1990s. His eighty-one chart records include several country standards, and his television performing since 1955 has culminated in his co-hosting TNN’s Opry Backstage for nearly a decade, starting in 1992. In the wake of Roy Acuff's death in November 1992, he became the unofficial spokesman for the Grand Ole Opry. Wagoner was born in an Ozark Mountains region of Missouri steeped in ancient English balladry. A farm boy, he moved with his family to West Plains, where he married in 1946. He formed the Blue Ridge Boys band and by 1950 was singing over local radio (KWPM) out of a butcher shop where he cut meat. Wagoner’s big break came when Springfield, Missouri, radio station KWTO hired him in 1951. He signed with RCA Records in 1952, but because his early records didn’t sell well, Wagoner committed himself to a hard-traveling career of playing schoolhouses for gate proceeds only. His act was billed as the Porter Wagoner Trio, with Don Warden on steel guitar and Herschel “Speedy” Haworth on rhythm guitar. Wagoner’s “Trademark,” co-written with Gary Walker, went to #2 for Carl Smith in 1953, and Wagoner’s hits penned by other writers, such as “Company’s Comin’ ” (#7, 1954–1955) and “A Satisfied Mind” (#1, 1955) kept him on RCA. Wagoner was an early mainstay on the Ozark Jubilee ABC television show (1955–1956), but he moved to Nashville with his wife and three children in 1956 and joined the Grand Ole Opry the following year. In 1960 Wagoner was invited by the Chattanooga Medicine Company to front a syndicated television show. Immediately he broadened his act, adding comedian Speck Rhodes, singer Norma Jean, and eventually Buck Trent (banjo), Mack Magaha (fiddle), and George McCormick (guitar). The show featured celebrities such as Tex Ritter and Cowboy Copas, plus newcomers such as Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings. The program ran an impressive two decades, ending in 1981. As the TV show’s reach expanded into nearly one hundred markets, with over three million viewers, Wagoner ran up a string of hits that included “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), “Green, Green Grass of Home” (#4, 1965), “Skid Row Joe” (#3, 1965–1966), “The Cold Hard Facts of Life” (#2, 1967), and “The Carroll County Accident” (#2, 1968–1969). Unlike some of his colleagues, he utilized but never pandered to the Nashville Sound, and never traded his flashy rhinestone suits for tuxedos. The versatile performer also won three Grammys for sacred recordings with the Blackwood Brothers (1966, 1967, 1969). In 1967 Dolly Parton replaced Norma Jean in the show’s cast and began recording duets with Wagoner, including fourteen Top Ten hits and one #1, “Please Don't Stop Loving Me” (1974). Wagoner was their de facto producer-arranger on thirteen duet albums, and he also supervised Parton’s RCA solo output during this same period. While she eventually outshone Wagoner on the charts, he nevertheless prospered from his tireless efforts in building her career. Although Parton’s departure from the show in mid-decade led to angry words and legal action, the two eventually resolved their differences. Wagoner’s post-Parton career upheld his innovative, persistently upbeat persona. He brought James Brown to the Grand Ole Opry, produced R&B sessions for Joe Simon, appeared in the Clint Eastwood film Honkytonk Man (1982), and served as an Opryland tourist ambassador in the 1990s. Still an active touring artist and a mainstay of the Opry, Porter Wagoner was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2002. —Steve Eng adapted from the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum’s Encyclopedia of Country Music, published by Oxford University Press ----------------------------------------------------------- Press Release January 2006 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE GUSTO/TEE VEE RECORDS RELEASE PORTER WAGONER GOSPEL COLLECTION Porter Wagoners’ broad smile, flashy costume and memorable songs are the very image of a country music star. Indeed, he is a veritable icon in the music industry. During his illustrious career, Porter has been awarded four Grammy awards. Three of which were won for his work in gospel music. Gospel music has, in fact, always been at the heart and soul of his legacy. Starting his career in 1955, he has become one of the most popular members of the Grand Ole Opry, joining the cast in 1957. Television has also been a major part of Porter's time in the public eye. He started the syndicated "Porter Wagoner Show" in 1960 and it remained on the air for an amazing 21 years. The "Porter Wagoner Show" was a key factor in popularizing country and gospel music across the United States. In 2002, Porter received his highest accolade with his induction into the Country Music Hall Of Fame. In 2004, Gusto/King Records’ owner recognized him as the “King Of Country Gospel”, and he truly deserves that title. 22 Grand Old Gospel 2004, Porter’s last gospel release, became one of the best-selling gospel CD’s in the Gusto/King/Tee Vee music catalog. The follow-up collection, 18 Grand Old Gospel 2005, released in January 2005, includes several songs written by Porter himself. Also featured on the collection is a duet with singing partner, Pam Gadd. Included in this 18 track collection of songs are the self-penned “Satan’s Got A River”, “Soldiers For The Lord”, “The Bird That Never Flew”, “I Found A Man” and “When I Sing For Him”. It is a must have collection for any country gospel music fan. January 2006 brings the third installment in the highly successful Country Gospel recordings. Porter Wagoner "Gospel 2006" is released and the first single, "The Dream" is getting great reviews from the likes of Robert K. Oermann and airplay from many top Classic and Christian Country radio stations. ---------------------------------------------------------- For additional information contact Amy Brakefield, Media Relations and Music Promotions, Gusto-King Records, 1900 Elm Hill Pike, Nashville, TN 37210. AmyB@kingrecords.com 615-889-8000 For wholesale sales information contact Terry Jones, IMG, Inc., 1900 Elm Hill Pike, Nashville, TN 37210. TerryJ@kingrecords.com 615-889-8000 or 800-251-4040.