Porter Wagoner portrait Porter Wagoner (1927-2007) was one of country music's great, unreconstructed hicks. Over five decades in show business, he never faltered in the pursuit of the sentimental, the heartfelt or the outright cornball. A prolific songwriter and a fine interpreter of other's work, Wagoner was a keen champion of old-fashioned heartsongs and goofy novelty songs, as well as mordant tunes with a kitschy, gothic darkness. In the 1960s, Wagoner hosted his own TV show and brought into the public eye two of the greatest female performers in country music, Norma Jean, who was a member of the Porter Wagoner Show from 1964 to 1967, and Dolly Parton, who replaced Norma Jean as the "girl singer" in the Wagoner entourage, but swiftly established herself as a major composer and performer in her own right. Porter's career rode high in the '50s, '60s and early '70s, but faltered under the disco-era onslaught of countrypolitan crooning. Outside of a couple of "best-of" overviews and an exhaustive import box set or two, Wagoner's legacy has fared poorly in the CD age: he's too hillbilly and old-fashioned for modern-day Nashville to care much about, and seen as too slick and showbiz by the whippersnappers in the alt.country crowd. Too bad for them, but for those of us still willing to go crate-digging and find those beat-up old LPs, Porter's got a lot to offer!

Here's a quick look at Porter Wagoner's discography...



Discography -- Albums

Porter Wagoner "Satisfied Mind" (RCA Victor, 1956) (LP)


Porter Wagoner "Slice Of Life" (RCA Victor, 1962) (LP)


Porter Wagoner & Skeeter Davis "Sing Duets" (RCA Victor, 1962) (LP)
An odd and unfortunate misfire. Along with Porter Wagoner, Skeeter Davis had to be one of the biggest unreconstructed hicks running loose in Nashville at the time, so you'd think hearing the two of them together would be a thing of wonder. Unfortunately, the musical backing on this album is both manic and monotonous, defined by a bouncing back beat and a remote-control string section that doesn't vary much from song to song. They cover some great tunes, but not much of it sinks in very deep. The exceptions -- strangely enough -- come at the end of the album, where heartsongs like "We Could" and "My Greatest Weakness" give the singers a chance to stretch their elbows a little and work their magic.


Porter Wagoner/Various Artists "The Porter Wagoner Show" (RCA Victor, 1963) (LP)
One of those great fake-live albums featuring not only Norma Jean, but the rest of Porter's cast. She sings three solo tunes and one really swell duet ("I'll Take A Chance On Loving You") with Porter... a limited role, but all of her stuff is pretty solid. Probably the most interesting aspect of this album is the comedy schtick by bassist Curly Harris... one of those Vaudeville throwbacks that still remarkably persisted in country music into the '60s. Interesting little slice of old-time showmanship.


Porter Wagoner "Y'All Come" (RCA Victor, 1963) (LP)


Porter Wagoner "A Satisfied Mind" (RCA-Camden, 1963) (LP)


Porter Wagoner/Various Artists "In Person - Recorded Live" (RCA Victor, 1964) (LP)
One of the wonderfully corny, abjectly rootsy "live" albums that the Porter Wagoner road show put out in the mid-'60s. In this pre-Dolly lineup, pretty miss Norma Jean sings on a couple of tracks, and as usual kind of steals the show... She was so good!


Porter Wagoner "The Blue Grass Story" (RCA Victor, 1964) (LP)


Porter Wagoner "The Thin Man From The Western Plains" (RCA Victor, 1965) (LP)


Porter Wagoner & The Blackwood Brothers "Grand Old Gospel" (RCA Victor, 1965) (LP)


Porter Wagoner "Old Log Cabin For Sale" (RCA-Camden, 1965) (LP)


Porter Wagoner "On The Road: The Porter Wagoner Show" (RCA Victor, 1965) (LP)
A fun, goofy album featuring Porter's whole crew, running through their routines... Norma Jean was well-established as a solo artist by the time this one came out, so her contributions are mainly stuff from her own albums, along with a nice duet with Porter ("A Violet And A Rose"). More of the same goofy, lovable, latter-day hick roadshow stuff from Porter and his crew. This purports to have been recorded live at the Louisiana Hayride, but the vocals sound awfully smooth. Either way, this is a nice record.


Porter Wagoner "The Best Of Porter Wagoner" (RCA Victor, 1966) (LP)
This first best of is pretty darn swell, and may be enough for the casual fan... But chances are once you pick this up and give it a good listen, you'll be hooked and have to go looking for more...!


Porter Wagoner "Confessions Of A Broken Man" (RCA Victor, 1966) (LP)


Porter Wagoner "Soul Of A Convict" (RCA Victor, 1966) (LP)


Porter Wagoner "Your Old Love Letters" (RCA-Camden, 1966) (LP)


Porter Wagoner "I'm Day Dreamin' Tonight" (RCA-Camden, 1967) (LP)


Porter Wagoner "Cold Hard Facts Of Life" (RCA Victor, 1967) (LP)


Porter Wagoner With The Blackwood Brothers "More Grand Gospel" (RCA Victor, 1967) (LP)
Pretty nice... if ya go for the whole Jesus thing. Sometimes Porter's hillbilly charm gets lost amid the solid, barbershopping style of these pioneering Southern Gospel idols, but he generally manages to make his presence known -- a corny recitation here, a tasty pedal steel there -- and the Blackwoods do grow on you after a while. Of course, we'll just have to leave aside the fact that there are five of them pictured on the cover alongside Porter, and the group is supposed to be a quartet... Other than that, this is a mighty fine country gospel album.


Porter Wagoner "The Green Green Grass Of Home" (RCA Victor, 1968) (LP)


Porter Wagoner & Dolly Parton "Just Between You And Me" (RCA Victor, 1968) (LP)


Porter Wagoner "The Bottom Of The Bottle" (RCA Victor, 1968) (LP)


Porter Wagoner With The Blackwood Brothers "In Gospel Country" (RCA Victor, 1969) (LP)


Porter Wagoner "Country Feeling" (RCA-Camden, 1969) (LP)


Porter Wagoner "The Carroll County Accident" (RCA Victor, 1969) (LP)


Porter Wagoner "Me And My Boys" (RCA Victor, 1969) (LP)
Porter shares the spotlight with his backup band...


Porter Wagoner "Howdy, Neighbor, Howdy" (RCA-Camden, 1970) (LP)


Porter Wagoner & Dolly Parton "Always, Always" (RCA Victor, 1969) (LP)


Porter Wagoner "Ya Gotta Have A License" (RCA Victor, 1970) (LP)


Porter Wagoner & Dolly Parton "Porter Wayne And Dolly Rebecca" (RCA Victor, 1970) (LP)


Porter Wagoner "The Best Of Porter Wagoner, v.2" (RCA Victor, 1970) (LP)


Porter Wagoner "Skid Row Joe/Down In The Alley" (RCA Victor, 1970) (LP)


Porter Wagoner & Dolly Parton "Once More" (RCA Victor, 1970) (LP)


Porter Wagoner "Country" (RCA-Camden, 1971) (LP)


Porter Wagoner & Dolly Parton "Two Of A Kind" (RCA Victor, 1971) (LP)


Porter Wagoner "Simple As I Am" (RCA Victor, 1971) (LP)


Porter Wagoner & Dolly Parton "The Best Of Porter Wagoner & Dolly Parton" (RCA Victor, 1971) (LP)


Porter Wagoner "Porter Wagoner Sings His Own" (RCA Victor, 1971) (LP)


Porter Wagoner "Blue Moon Of Kentucky" (RCA-Camden, 1971) (LP)


Porter Wagoner "The Silent Kind" (RCA-Camden, 1971) (LP)


Porter Wagoner & Dolly Parton "The Right Combination: Burning The Midnight Oil" (RCA Victor, 1972) (LP)


Porter Wagoner "What Ain't To Be Just Might Happen" (RCA Victor, 1971) (LP)


Porter Wagoner "Ballads Of Love" (RCA Victor, 1971) (LP)
On the cover, Wagoner is bedazzled by visions of a crosseyed blonde beauty (not Dolly!), wearing various cute get-ups. The misty, far-away look in his eyes tells ya this is L-U-V, love...!!


Porter Wagoner & Dolly Parton "Together Always" (RCA Victor, 1972) (LP)


Porter Wagoner "Experience" (RCA Victor, 1972) (LP)


Porter Wagoner & Dolly Parton "We Found It" (RCA Victor, 1973) (LP)


Porter Wagoner "I'll Keep On Loving You" (RCA Victor, 1973) (LP)


Porter Wagoner & Dolly Parton "Love And Music" (RCA Victor, 1973) (LP)


Porter Wagoner "The Farmer" (RCA Victor, 1973) (LP)


Porter Wagoner "Tore Down" (RCA Victor, 1974) (LP)


Porter Wagoner & Dolly Parton "Porter 'N' Dolly" (RCA Victor, 1974) (LP)


Porter Wagoner "Highway Headin' South" (RCA Victor, 1974) (LP)


Porter Wagoner "Sing Some Love Songs" (RCA Victor, 1975) (LP)


Porter Wagoner & Dolly Parton "Say Forever You'll Be Mine" (RCA Victor, 1975) (LP)


Porter Wagoner "Porter" (RCA Victor, 1977) (LP)


Porter Wagoner "Today" (RCA Victor, 1979) (LP)


Porter Wagoner & Dolly Parton "Porter & Dolly" (RCA Victor, 1980) (LP)


Porter Wagoner "Jamboree USA" (Star Fleet Records, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Sam Kopper, Jim Slattery & Steed Austin)
A live, double LP souvenir of Porter's August 8, 1981 appearance at the Capitol Music Hall in Wheeling, West Virginia, in connection with Jamboree USA show, a spinoff of the venerable WVVA Wheeling Jamboree. This was produced as part of a syndicated radio series, and was intended only for onetime broadcast... So, if you manage to track down a copy, just remember you're not allowed to play it. Ever.


Porter Wagoner "Viva!" (Warner Brothers, 1982) (LP)


Porter Wagoner "When I Sing For Him" (Murray Hill Records, 1982) (LP)
A gospel album...


Porter Wagoner "Porter Wagoner" (MCA-Dot Records, 1986)


Porter Wagoner "The Best I've Ever Been" (Shell Point Records, 1986)


Porter Wagoner "Unplugged" (Shell Point Records, 2002)
God bless Porter Wagoner. He hasn't changed his basic hillbilly orientation during over 45 years in the upper ranks of the country music pantheon, and it looks like he never will. This simple, unpretentious collection of songs sounds just like his old stuff from the early '70s, calculated but heartfelt, corny but cool. As the title implies, the arrangements are pretty down to earth, but really not that much different than any of his classic work. Porter's getting on in years, but still has a great voice, not nearly as creaky or fragile as any number of his contemporaries. The guy's still got it, and this album ranks right up there with anything he's ever done. By the way, Willie Nelson guests on a couple of tunes, and these two veterans sound pretty simpatico. Worth checking out!


Porter Wagoner & Pam Gadd "Something To Brag About" (Gusto, 2004)
Porter's always had a soft spot for singing duets with purty gals -- first there was Norma Jean, then Dolly, and later Pam Gadd, of the band Wild Rose. To be honest, Porter sounds pretty washed-up here, but Gadd puts in a good performance. Good songs, but you can easily find better records by both of these artists singing solo, and they never really click as duet partners. You could pass on this one, unless you're really a super-duper dedicated fan.


Pam Gadd & Porter Wagoner "22 Country And Gospel Duets" (Tee Vee Records, 2007)


Porter Wagoner "The Wagonmaster" (Epitaph/Anti Records, 2007)
(Produced by Marty Stuart)
October 28, 2007: I was greatly saddened to hear that Porter Wagoner had passed away after being admitted to a hospice in Nashville. His passing was made more poignant by his having recorded such a fine final album before going up to join that heavenly choir he kept singing about when he was in a gospel mood. Porter was in top form here, as corny and as heartfelt as ever, and with a strong, sympathetic backing from Marty Stuart and his band. There are beautiful ballads, goofball novelty songs, over-the-top gloom'n'doom epics (like "The Agony Of Waiting"), lively instrumentals and between-song patter that recall the stage show that he'd performed for decades, on TV, at the Opry and on the road. There's even a lost gem written by Johnny Cash, "Committed To Parkview," a song about being in an asylum that fits in handily next to Porter's wacky classic, "The Rubber Room." In short, this album is archetypal Porter Wagoner, a delicious mix of the heartfelt and the maudlin, the serious and the silly. Porter's voice was expressive and strong -- he made another great record, just like the others he'd made over the years, and although he didn't cater to the rock'n'roll crowd the same way as Johnny Cash and Loretta Lynn, there's still plenty here for the young'uns to latch onto, if they've got a hankering to hear real some country music. Rest in peace, Porter: we'll all be down here listening to your stuff for a long time to come.



Best-Ofs

Porter Wagoner "The Essential" (RCA Nashville, 1997)
Wahoo! Nashville has GOT to start putting out more reissues that are as good as this one! Wagoner was the last of the unreformable hicks, gloriously corny, yet country to the bone. This disc covers a lot of his best material, including the absurdly maudlin recitations such as "Skid Row Joe" and "What Would You Do If Jesus Came To Your House?" People eat those novelty tracks up with a spoon, but you should also check out his awesome weepers, such as "I'll Go Down Swinging" and "Satisfied Mind." When Wagoner sang it, he meant it. And that's nothing to laugh at! One of the best CDs in this series -- highly recommended.


Porter Wagoner "The Thin Man From The Western Plains" (Bear Family Records, 1993)
Four CDs worth of prime Porter material from the 1950s and '60s, complete with Bear Family's trademark fine sound quality and scholarly liner notes. If you really want to get into the Wagoner mystique, this is the best collection on the market today. Pure hillbilly gold!


Porter Wagoner "Greatest Songs" (Curb Records, 1994)


Porter Wagoner & Dolly Parton "The Essential" (RCA Nashville, 1997)
Dolly Parton started off her career as the "girl singer" on the Porter Wagoner show, replacing the equally hickalicious Norma Jean. Porter certainly helped Dolly find her voice as a traditionally-oriented artist in a countrypolitan town. The duets they recorded when they were still musical partners are mostly pretty good, a lot better than you might think... and the song selection on this collection (culled from zillions of duet albums they put out together) is great. Well worth checking out, especially since it isn't likely to stay in print forever.


Porter Wagoner "RCA Country Legends" (RCA Nashville, 2002)


Porter Wagoner "A Rare Slice Of Country" (Jasmine Records, 2004)


Porter Wagoner "Dig That Crazy Moon" (BACM, 2005)
A high-quality CD-R of rare early stuff, with great classics and novelty songs galore, all curated by the folks at the British Archive Of Country Music...


Porter Wagoner "The Rubber Room" (Omni Records, 2006)


Porter Wagoner "Out Of The Silence Came A Song: The Somber Sound Of Porter Wagoner" (Sony-BMG, 2007)


Porter Wagoner "Cold Hard Facts Of Life/Soul Of A Convict" (Omni Records, 2008)



Related Records

Dolly Parton "My Favorite Songwriter: Porter Wagoner" (RCA, 1972) (LP)



Other Media

Porter Wagoner "The Best Of Porter Wagoner" (K-Tel Records, 2004) (DVD)



Links