“Porter Wagoner, a country singer who mixed rhinestone suits, a towering cotton-candy pompadour and cornball jokes with direct, simple songs…”
So begins the New York Times obituary of the longtime Grand Ole Opry star. He died of lung cancer on Sunday in Nashville.
The Times also notes that Wagoner favored the elaborate old-country style of suit known as “Hillbilly deluxe.”
The Louisville Courier-Journal calls him the “king of Opryland” and includes an awesome big-hair photo of Wagoner and Dolly Parton, his protege and singing partner in late 1960s.
The cover of his 1967 album The Cold Hard Facts of Life is a classic. For that matter, here’s a larger display of all his vinyl covers.
From the Who2 blog:
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