Porter Wagoner

Porter Wagoner (born August 12, 1927, in Howell County, Missouri, in the Ozark Mountains) is an American country music singer. Famous for his flashy Nudie suits and blonde pompadour, Wagoner introduced a young Dolly Parton to his long-running television show and together they were a very successful duet for a number of years.

Television show

The Porter Wagoner Show ran on syndicated television for nineteen years from 1960 to 1979. At its peak it was featured in over 100 markets, with three million-plus viewers.

Related Topics:
Syndicated - 1960 - 1979

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The regular cast included:

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• Singer Norma Jean (Beasler) 1960-67
• Singer Dolly Parton 1967-74
• Singer Mel Tillis
• Comedian Speck Rhodes
• Announcer Don Howser
• The house band The Wagonmasters

:Buck Trent on banjo and guitar

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:George McCormick on rhythm guitar

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:Don Warden on steel guitar

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:Mack Magaha on fiddle

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:Speck Rhodes on bass fiddle

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Dolly Parton replaced the very popular Norma Jean in 1967 to loud complaints from fans, at first. Quickly, however, she won over their hearts with her own songs and duets with Wagoner. They recorded thirteen duet albums and had fourteen Top Ten hits. Parton left the show in the mid-1970s, and for a while things between them were acrimonious, but both Parton and Wagoner have since resolved their differences. The show is currently airing in reruns on RFD-TV, a Rural American television network.

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