Country music has had a long-standing tradition of duet teams through the years whether it happens to be a duo act such as Brooks & Dunn, The Judds or Sugarland or a more temporary twosome in song like Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn or George Jones and Tammy Wynette. One of the most famous pairings, which also served as an important launching pad for one of its members who became a country icon in her own right, is Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner.

Dolly often cites Porter, who was known as “The Thin Man From West Plains,” as one of the most influential people she encountered during her illustrious career. It was in the late 1960s when Porter tapped Dolly, who had experienced limited success at that point, as the replacement singer for his departing “girl singer” Norma Jean on his hugely successful syndicated television show The Porter Wagoner Show. This served as a big turning point in Dolly’s career as she was introduced to country fans through her appearances on the show as well as her recorded duets with Porter. Dolly tells American Songwriter, “He always liked my songs, and he encouraged me. I think more than anything, I learned from Porter how to be an entertainer, and how to talk to an audience…how to present myself.” It was those lessons that Dolly learned very well as her career skyrocketed.

As for Porter, his story began on August 12th, 1927 in the Missouri Ozarks where he was born; however, when Porter was just a boy, his family settled in West Plains, Missouri. There he would go on to grow up on the family farm, get married and, by 1950, he got a job on local radio singing and reading commercials during the early morning show along with working at the butcher shop located on the court square. By the following year, a radio station in Springfield convenience Porter to come work with them which lead to his recording contract with RCA in 1952. But success singing his own hits didn’t come quickly as his records struggled to sell; however, Porter was earning hits through writing songs covered by other artists like Carl Smith who took “Trademark” up to the number two position on the chart in 1953. A couple of years following that, Porter achieved his first Top 10 hit with “Company’s Comin’” and in 1955, he topped the charts with “A Satisfied Mind.” It was during this time that Porter was a regular performer on ABC’s Ozark Jubliee and after Porter and his family moved to Nashville, he became a member of the Grand Ole Opry in February 1957.

Things really heated up for Porter in 1960 when he was asked to host his very own syndicated show which would eventually become an influential program for the viewing audience as it ran for a total of 21 years. When the show began, it featured a cast of characters which included singer Norma Jean, comedian Speck Rhodes and musicians Buck Trent, Mack Magaha and George McCormick as well as special guests ranging from Tex Ritter to Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings. The show’s musical numbers included both secular and gospel songs with a dose of comedy in-between. As the program’s popularity continued to grow, so did Porter’s recording career as he enjoyed hits like “Green, Green Grass of Home,” “The Cold Hard Facts of Life,” “The Carroll County Accident,” and the number one hit “Misery Loves Company.” But, in 1967 – seven years after The Porter Wagoner Show began – Porter received a blow as the very popular Norma Jean made the decision to leave the program, but he found the perfect substitute in Dolly Parton who came in to fill her shoes. While Dolly was on the show, Porter began recording duets with her, songs like “The Last Thing on My Mind” and “Just Someone I Used To Know.” Of their duets, 14 became Top 10 hits for the pair and 1974’s “Please Don’t Stop Lovin’ Me” topped the charts.

By the mid-1970s, Dolly had left the show and had famously penned "I Will Always Love You" for Porter. And, he marched on without her and continued to expand his horizons in his career by producing an R&B; album for Joe Simon and appearing alongside Clint Eastwood in his 1982 film Honkytonk Man. Porter even brought James Brown, The Godfather of Soul himself, to the Grand Ole Opry. As the 1980s and 1990s dawned, Porter found himself as one of the ambassadors to the Opry and to the nearby Opryland theme park. And, with the end of his syndicated show, Porter found a new television home on The Nashville Network hosting Opry Backstage.

In 2002, he was awarded one of country music’s highest honors when he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame with Dolly serving a crucial role in his medallion ceremony. Five years later, in May 2007, Porter was honored by the Opry for the 50th anniversary of his membership, as well as acknowledged for his 80th birthday, with a celebration where he was toasted by Dolly, Marty Stuart and Patty Loveless. The following month, he released his final album the critically acclaimed Wagonmaster and embarked on a short promotional tour which included a stop in New York City where he opened for The White Stripes. In October of that year, Porter became ill and underwent tests that revealed a diagnosis of advanced lung cancer which lead to his passing on October 28th, 2007.

Image courtesy of Michael Ochs Archive

Adapted from "Porter Wagoner." Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Country Music Foundation, Inc., n.d. Web. 30 Jun 2010. <http://www.countrymusichalloffame.org/full-list-of-inductees/view/porter-wagoner>.

Nikita Palmer for Citadel Digital © 2010

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