Porter W. Wagoner (1927-2007) Inducted - Monday, March 2, 2020 Sculptor: E. Spencer Schubert Speaker: Todd Richardson Where is Porter W. Wagoner in the Hall of Famous Missourians? Born and raised in West Plains, Wagoner was a visionary in the country music and entertainment world whose music and television show entertained countless Missourians and people across the United States. Known throughout his career as “Mr. Grand Ole Opry”, Wagoner charted 81 singles from 1954 to 1983, and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville in 2002. Wagoner and his band first made a name for themselves while performing in West Plains at a local butcher shop, of which Wagoner was an employee. The band was discovered and picked up by KWTO, a local radio station in Springfield, Missouri. During the 1960’s Wagoner produced a TV show called the Porter Wagoner Show, where their songs and skits entertained millions for more than two decades. At its peak, his show was featured in over 100 markets, with an average viewership of over three million. During the show, he introduced the world to a singer who went on to become one of the greatest female recording artists in country music history, Dolly Parton.