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
The Carroll County Accident
Porter Wagoner Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The biggest thing that happens is the county fair
I guess that's why it seemed like such a big event
What we all call the Carroll County accident
The wreck was on the highway just inside the line
Walter Browning lost his life and for a time
It seemed that Mary Ellen Jones would surely die
Walter Browning was a happy married man
And he wore a golden wedding ring upon his hand
But it was gone, nobody knew just where it went
He lost it in the Carroll County accident
Mary Ellen testified he flagged her down
Said he was sick and could she drive him into town
No one even doubted what she said was true
'Cause she was well respected in the county too
I went down to see the wreck like all the rest
The bloody seats, the broken glass, the tangled mess
But I found something no one else had even seen
Behind the dash, in Mary's crumpled up machine
A little match box circled by a rubber band
And inside, the ring from Walter Browning's hand
It took a while to figure out just what it meant
The truth about the Carroll County accident
By dark of night, I dropped the ring into a well
And took a sacred oath that I would never tell
The truth about the Carroll County accident
'Cause the County ordered dad a marble monument
I lost him in the Carroll County accident
Porter Wagoner's "The Carroll County Accident" tells the story of a car accident that occurred in a small town in Carroll County. The song describes the town as being "kind of square," with the biggest event being the annual county fair. However, the accident was a particularly significant event in the town, likely due to the loss of life that occurred.
The accident involved a man named Walter Browning, who lost his life, and Mary Ellen Jones, who was severely injured. Mary Ellen later testified that Walter had flagged her down and asked her to drive him into town, indicating that he was sick. She was a respected figure in the county, and her testimony was considered truthful.
However, the song reveals that there was more to the story than met the eye. The singer of the song went to the accident site and found a matchbox with Walter's wedding ring inside. It took some time to piece together what it meant, but the truth eventually came out. Walter had been having an affair with Mary Ellen, and the ring had come off during the accident. The singer takes the ring and drops it into a well, taking an oath never to tell the truth about the accident, as the town had ordered a monument for Walter and did not want to tarnish his memory.
Overall, the song depicts a small town where secrets are kept and affairs are hidden. The accident was a tragic event that ultimately revealed more about the town's residents than anyone had anticipated.
Line by Line Meaning
Carroll County's pointed out as kind of square
Carroll County is seen as a rural and uneventful place
The biggest thing that happens is the county fair
The county fair is the most attended event in the area
I guess that's why it seemed like such a big event
Because nothing much happens, a car accident became a big event for the people in the area
What we all call the Carroll County accident
The car accident is now known as the Carroll County accident and is remembered by everyone in the county
The wreck was on the highway just inside the line
The car accident occurred near the county border
Walter Browning lost his life and for a time
Walter Browning died as a result of the car crash
It seemed that Mary Ellen Jones would surely die
Mary Ellen Jones was badly injured and it was assumed she may not survive
But she lived long enough for her to testify
Mary Ellen Jones survived long enough to give her testimony about the events leading to the car crash
Walter Browning was a happy married man
Walter Browning was content in his marriage
And he wore a golden wedding ring upon his hand
Walter Browning had a wedding ring on his hand made of gold
But it was gone, nobody knew just where it went
After the car accident, Walter Browning's wedding ring went missing and its whereabouts were unknown
He lost it in the Carroll County accident
It's believed that Walter Browning's wedding ring was lost or removed during the car accident
Mary Ellen testified he flagged her down
Mary Ellen Jones stated that Walter Browning stopped her car and asked her for a ride
Said he was sick and could she drive him into town
Walter Browning told Mary Ellen Jones that he was unwell and asked for a ride to town
No one even doubted what she said was true
Mary Ellen's testimony was credible and accepted by people in the county
'Cause she was well respected in the county too
Mary Ellen was a well-respected member of the community
I went down to see the wreck like all the rest
The artist went to the site of the car accident to inspect it like everyone else in the county
The bloody seats, the broken glass, the tangled mess
The scene of the car accident was gruesome, with blood, broken glass, and the car in pieces
But I found something no one else had even seen
The singer discovered something nobody else had noticed before
Behind the dash, in Mary's crumpled up machine
The artist found an object behind the dashboard of Mary Ellen Jones' car
A little match box circled by a rubber band
Inside the car, the artist found a small box wrapped in a rubber band
And inside, the ring from Walter Browning's hand
The small box contained Walter Browning's wedding ring
It took a while to figure out just what it meant
It wasn't immediately clear how Walter Browning's wedding ring ended up in Mary Ellen Jones' car
The truth about the Carroll County accident
The discovery of the wedding ring finally revealed what really happened during the car accident
By dark of night, I dropped the ring into a well
To protect the reputations of those involved, the singer disposed of the wedding ring by dropping it into a well
And took a sacred oath that I would never tell
The singer promised to never reveal the truth about what happened during the car accident
The truth about the Carroll County accident
The singer is referencing the secret they have about the events that transpired during the car accident
'Cause the County ordered dad a marble monument
The county created a monument in memory of the artist's father who died in the car accident
I lost him in the Carroll County accident
The artist's father was killed in the Carroll County accident
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Ferguson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@sauquoit13456
On this day in 1969 {January 5th} Porter Wagoner's "The Carroll County Accident" peaked at #2* {for 4 weeks} on Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart, for the four weeks it was at #2, the #1 record for those four weeks was "Daddy Sang Bass" by Johnny Cash...
And on February 3rd, 1969 "The Carroll County Accident" reached #1 {for 3 weeks} on the Canadian RPM Country Singles chart...
Between 1954 and 1983 the West Plains, Missouri had fifty-eight records on the Billboard Country charts, fourteen made the Top 10 with two reaching #1, "A Satisfied Mind" for four weeks in July of 1955 and "Misery Loves Company" for two non-consecutive weeks in March of 1962...
Porter Wayne Wagoner passed away at the age of 80 on October 28th, 2007...
May he R.I.P.
* "The Carroll County Accident" was Porter Wagoner's second of two of his records to peak at #2, his other #2 record was "Cold Hard Facts of Life" for one week in April of 1967...
Plus in a duet with Dolly Parton he had a third record peak at #2, "Making Plans", for two weeks in August of 1980...
And from the 'For What It's Worth' department, the remainder of the Hot Country Singles' Top 10 on January 5th. 1969:
At #3. "I Take A Lot of Pride In What I Am" by Merle Haggard & the Strangers
#4. "When The Grass Grows Over Me" by George Jones
#5. "Smokey Bear" by Hank Thompson
#6. "Wichita Lineman" by Glen Campbell
#7. "Your Squaw Is On The Warpath" by Loretta Lynn
#8. "Yours Love" by Waylon Jennings
#9. "The Ballad of Forty Dollars" by Tom T. Hall
#10. "They Don't Make Love Like They Used To" by Eddy Arnold
@lindamitchum454
I Loved To Hear Porter Wagner Sing.. I Miss COUNTRY SONGS❤
@beverlymccollum8861
Such a great pleasure hearing Porter sing. These older songs are the best. Aren't like the silly ones we endure today.
@markowen3114
Hello dear,how’re you doing? Greetings from California 😊
@blackholeentry3489
Once saw him play in Branson, MO.
@auntkiki82
I miss country songs like this that actually told a story.
@larryduvall9475
white mans blues of that era
@mackbrowning5464
It reminds me of my dad his name is Browning also
@mackbrowning5464
Yep
@itislona5868
Yes
@lorettajohns1555
@@larryduvall9475 😊