NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Porter Wagoner, the rhinestone-clad Grand Ole Opry star who helped launch the career of Dolly Parton by hiring her as his duet partner, died Sunday. He was 80.

Wagoner, who had survived an abdominal aneurysm in 2006, was hospitalized again this month and his publicist disclosed he had lung cancer. He died at 8:25 p.m. CDT in a Nashville hospice, a spokeswoman for the Grand Ole Opry said.


One of his last concerts he opened for The White Stripes @ Madison Square Garden

Wagoner and Dolly together was one of the better country duos of years past.

Wagoner opening for White Stripes...that I have to see!

Porter even appeared as the musical guest on David Letterman's show just a very few months ago. He was an amazing talent! And a pretty nice gentleman as well...

Some of my favorite album covers were on a series of records that Porter put out for RCA/Nashville, showing him in typical C&W "situations" like a bum on the street, a fellow locked-up in jail, etc.

Possibly the very best was the album cover for "Cold Hard Facts Of Life", which was just a shot of Porter entering his apartment and finding his "wife and best friend" on the couch. An absolute classic. A fellow in Atlanta researched the story of that cover, including where and how it was shot. He even traveled to Nashville to find the specific apartment!

Here's that link. Interesting stuff...

http://www.atlantatimemachine.com/misc/porter1.htm

My Mom loved Porter, he used to appear at the Cains ballroom in Tulsa about every other month in the early 60's. That was my Mom and Dads night out, about once a month they would go to Cains and see Porter or some of the other country stars of the era.

My sister has several pictures of my mom and dad with the country stars of that era, then things were much more simple, the entertainers actually met with the fans.

Its a cryin shame the current country stations hardly ever-never play the legends. It takes a Porter Wagoner to die to get a tune played! I don't care what the powers that be say....Setting up a legend with a produced intro and playing one per hr would be interesting to the audience no matter what their age or demo.
Are you tellin me that "stand by your man" or "Jackson" would be a tune out? It would be terrific. Who tunes out Johnny C-Tammy-Willie-Waylon etc etc....Nobody!

KUPL has their legends and outlaws show every sunday morning, I listen to that a lot.

and therein lies reason #17 that I signed-up for Sirius satellite radio...

It wasn't Country music, but look at what happened to Alternative Rock after Kurt Cobain died...

I believe KUPL's Legends and Outlaws feature has been running continuously since the station switched to the country format back in the 80s...It was then known as the "Sunday Morning Country Oldies Show"...

Stoner: I believe it's the nature of the beast to program nothing but "new country" anymore for fear of spreading beyond the station's target demo. I hold that's mostly a false assumption.

I worked at ABC's Real Country for 8-1/2 years before Buck Owens Productions sold it back to ABC and the whole kit and caboodle moved to Dallas. It was the MOST fun I had in my entire career. And even though it was more than half country oldies, we got a LOT of response from younger-demo listeners that discovered the greatness of the music, especially those timeless classics.

Can't beat slice-of-life music that really speaks to you!

Sad news for music lovers everywhere. Porter Wagoner was scheduled to perform in January at the River City Bluegrass Festival: http://www.rivercitybluegrass.com/

Stoner and Markandrews, I could not agree more and appreciate your insight. I am also mortified that the very foundation of our culture is so easily dismissed. There is no music today without music yesterday.

A current, but unabashedly traditional star, Ricky Skaggs, fought to save WSM from going all talk -- and won. He still fights for the mandolin, fiddle and banjo. I also believe that it is inexcusable to be a country this culturally rich without traditional American music on the radio.

We ought to be proud enough of our heritage to share the pioneers with future generations, and cultivate the talents of today to take the same path. I deeply appreciate and respect the folks who keep our music alive. Porter did it to his dying day. Thanks Mister Wagoner.

Thanks to all of you for making this such a good thread.