Topic: Porter Wagoner

Porter Wayne Wagoner (August 12, 1927 – October 28, 2007) was a popular American country music singer known for his flashy Nudie and Manuel suits and blond pompadour. He introduced a young Dolly Parton on his long-running television show, and they were a well-known duet team throughout the late 1960s and early 1970s. Wagoner charted 81 singles and is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Wagoner's first band, The Blue Ridge Boys, performed on radio station KWPM-AM from a butcher shop in his native West Plains, Missouri where Wagoner cut meat. His big break came in 1951, when he was hired by "Si" Siman as a performer on KWTO-AM in Springfield, Missouri. This led to a contract with RCA Records.

With lagging sales, Wagoner and his trio played schoolhouses for the gate proceeds; but in 1953, his song "Trademark" became a hit for Carl Smith, followed by a few hits of his own on RCA. He was a featured performer on ABC-TV's Ozark Jubilee in Springfield, Missouri, and then moved to Nashville, Tennessee, joining the Grand Ole Opry in 1957.