Porter Wayne Wagoner came into the world on this day in 1927, in the small town of West Plains, Missouri — a place that could never have imagined the bright lights and big stages he would one day command. To millions, he was more than a country singer; he was “Mr. Grand Ole Opry,” a larger-than-life figure whose rhinestone-studded suits and heartfelt songs made him impossible to forget. In 2002, Porter received one of the highest honors in music when he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, a tribute he was blessed to witness before his passing on October 28, 2007. Today, on what would have been his 98th birthday, we remember not just the legend on stage, but the man whose voice carried the heart of country music itself.
Porter Wagoner: The Rhinestone Cowboy of Country Music Porter Wayne Wagoner, born on August 12,...