Known for his1960s series, “The Porter Wagoner Show,” his flamboyant Nudie suits, and hit songs like “A Satisfied Mind” and “Green, Green Grass of Home,” Wagoner is best recognized for his discovery of Dolly Parton, who first appeared on his show in 1967.
When she left to strike out on her own, she informed him she was doing so in “I Will Always Love You,” the smash song Whitney Houston later covered.
When Wagoner heard it, according to Parton, “He started crying. When I finished, he said, ‘Well, hell! If you feel that strong about it, just go on—providing I get to produce that record because that’s the best song you ever wrote.”
Wagoner, who also was a member of the Grand Ole Opry, was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2002. He died in 2007 at the age of 80.
