His first band, The Blue Ridge Boys, performed on radio station KWPM from a butcher shop in his native West Plains, Missouri where Wagoner cut meat. Wagoner's big break came in 1951, when he was hired as a performer by station KWTO in Springfield, Missouri. This led to a contract with RCA Records. With lagging sales, Wagoner and his trio played schoolhouses for the gate proceeds.
In 1953, his song entitled "Trademark" became a hit for Carl Smith, followed by a few hits of his own on RCA. He was a featured performer on ABC's Ozark Jubilee and moved to Nashville and joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1957.
Wagoner was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2002. His 81 charted records include "Satisfied Mind" (#1, 1955), “Misery Loves Company” (#1, 1962), “I've Enjoyed As Much of This As I Can Stand” (#7, 1962–1963), “Sorrow on the Rocks” (#5, 1964), “Green, Green Grass of Home” (#4, 1965), “Skid Row Joe” (#3, 1965–1966), “The Cold Hard Facts of Life” (#2, 1967), and “The Carroll County Accident” (#2, 1968–1969). Among his hit duets with Dolly Parton were a cover of Tom Paxton's "The Last Thing on My Mind" (1967), "We'll Get Ahead Someday" (1968), "Just Someone I Used To Know" (1969), "Better Move it on Home" (1971), "Please Don't Stop Loving Me" (#1, 1974) and "Making Plans" (#2, 1980). He also won three Grammy Awards for gospel recordings.
The Porter Wagoner Show ran on syndicated television from 1960 to 1981. There were 686 thirty minute episodes filmed, the first 104 being shot in black and white, the remainder in color. At its peak, it was featured in over 100 markets, with an average viewership of over three million. Reruns of the program currently air on the rural cable network RFD-TV.
Wagoner brought James Brown to the Grand Ole Opry, produced a rhythm & blues album for Joe Simon, and appeared in the Clint Eastwood film Honkytonk Man. [1] During the mid 1980s, Wagoner formed an all girl group called The Right Combination which was named after one of Porter and Dolly Parton's hit records. He also hosted "Opry Backstage" during the 1990s on The Nashville Network where he interviewed guests. Though Parton's departure caused some animosity on both sides, the two reconciled in the late 1980s and have appeared together a number of times in the years since; Parton inducted Wagoner into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2002.
Wagoner made a guest appearance on the HBO comedy series Da Ali G Show, being interviewed by the fictional character Borat, in its second season.
On July 14, 2006, Wagoner was hospitalized and underwent surgery for an abdominal aneurysm.
Wagoner was honored on May 19, 2007 at the Grand Ole Opry for both his fifty years of membership and his 80th birthday. This was telecast on GAC's Grand Ole Opry Live that day with artists such as Stuart, Parton, and Patty Loveless. Grand Ole Opry Live host Nan Kelley was part of the birthday celebration as well.
On June 05, 2007, Wagoner released his final album called Wagonmaster. The album was produced by Marty Stuart for the Anti-label. This album received the best reviews ever in Porter's career and briefly charted on the country charts.
Wagoner also toured during the summer of 2007 to promote the album. One of these was opening for the rock group The White Stripes at a sold-out concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Wagoner's publicist Darlene Bieber announced on October 19, 2007 that the singer had been hospitalized and was in very serious condition. WSMV-TV reported that Wagoner was admitted earlier that week for observation from an illness. Bieber gave no further information but said that the country star was asking for prayers from his family and fans.
On October 21, 2007, his publicist confirmed that Wagoner had been diagnosed with lung cancer.
On October 26, 2007, Porter was released into hospice care. He died two days later in Nashville, Tennessee. Wagoner's funeral was held on November 1, 2007 at the Grand Ole Opry House followed by interrment at the Woodlawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Nashville.
Up until his illness and death, he appeared regularly on the Grand Ole Opry and toured actively.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
John Henry
Porter Wagoner Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Traditional)
« © '52 Silvehill Music »
John Henry was a little bitty boy sittin' on his mommy's knee
When he picked up a hammer and a little piece of steel
This hammer'd be a death of me Lord Lord this hammer'd be a death of me
John Henry was a little bitty boy no bigger than a palm of your hand
My Johnny'll be a steal drivin' man Lord lord hey Johnny'll be a steal drivin' man
John Henry was a steel drivin' man drove steel all through the land
Before he would let that steam drill beat him down
He'd die with the hammer in his hand Lord lord he'd die with the hammer in his hand
John Henry went to the tunnel drive steam drill was by his side
Before he would let that steam drill beat him down
He laid down his hammer and he cried Lord Lord he laid down his hammer and he cried
John Henry went up on the mountain and he looked down on the other side
And the last words I heard poor old John Henry said
A cool drink of water before I die Lord Lord cool drink of water before I die
John Henry had a little woman and her name was Polly Ann
And the last words I heard poor old John Henry said
Polly drive that steel like a man Lord Lord Polly drive that steel like a man
The song "John Henry" tells the story of a legendary African American laborer who was born with a hammer in his hand. As a child, John Henry was inspired by his mother's words of wisdom and encouragement, and he grew up to be a fearless and tireless steel driver who worked tirelessly to build America's railroads. However, John Henry's skills and strength were challenged when a steam drill was introduced to replace the manual labor.
Despite the odds, John Henry refused to bow down to the new technology and challenged the steam drill to a race in a tunnel. The lyrics of the song describe his determination and heroism, as he drove steel through the rock with his hammer until his heart gave out. This powerful and emotional song pays tribute to the working-class hero whose story has become a symbol of the struggle for human dignity and the fight against machines taking over the workforce.
Overall, "John Henry" is a poignant and heartfelt tribute to a folk hero whose legacy continues to inspire generations of musicians and activists alike.
Line by Line Meaning
John Henry was a little bitty boy sittin' on his mommy's knee
John Henry was a young boy sitting with his mother
When he picked up a hammer and a little piece of steel
He grabbed a hammer and a small piece of steel
This hammer'd be a death of me Lord Lord this hammer'd be a death of me
John realized the potential danger of his work with the hammer
John Henry was a little bitty boy no bigger than a palm of your hand
John was a very small child
When his mommy looked at him proudly and said
His mother expressed pride in him
My Johnny'll be a steal drivin' man Lord lord hey Johnny'll be a steal drivin' man
She knew he would grow up to be a proud steel worker
John Henry was a steel drivin' man drove steel all through the land
John Henry worked hard building railways
Before he would let that steam drill beat him down
He would rather fight the steam drill than let it beat him
He'd die with the hammer in his hand Lord lord he'd die with the hammer in his hand
John Henry would rather die than lose to the steam drill
John Henry went to the tunnel drive steam drill was by his side
John Henry faced the steam drill while working in the tunnel
Before he would let that steam drill beat him down
He was determined not to lose to the steam drill
He laid down his hammer and he cried Lord Lord he laid down his hammer and he cried
John Henry finally gave up and broke down crying
John Henry went up on the mountain and he looked down on the other side
He went up a mountain and looked out over the land
And the last words I heard poor old John Henry said
The last thing anyone heard John Henry say was
A cool drink of water before I die Lord Lord cool drink of water before I die
He asked for a last drink of water before he passed away
John Henry had a little woman and her name was Polly Ann
He had a wife named Polly Ann
And the last words I heard poor old John Henry said
The last thing John Henry said was
Polly drive that steel like a man Lord Lord Polly drive that steel like a man
He asked his wife to carry on his legacy as a hardworking steel driver
Lyrics © BRASSTACKS ALLIANCE
Written by: J BAIRD, PD TRADITIONAL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind