Porter Wayne Wagoner (August 12, 1927–October 28, 2007) was a popular American country music singer known for his flashy Nudie and Manuel suits and blond pompadour . He introduced a young Dolly Parton on his long-running television show, and they were a well-known duet team throughout the late 1960s and early 1970s . Known as Mr . Grand Ole Opry, Wagoner charted 81 singles; and is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame . With lagging sales, Wagoner and his trio played schoolhouses for the gate proceeds; but in 1953, his song "Trademark" became a hit for Carl Smith, followed by a few hits of his own on RCA . Starting in 1955 he was a featured performer on ABC-TV's Ozark Jubilee in Springfield, Missouri . Don Warden joined the Wagonmasters on steel guitar and became Wagoner's long time business manager . He moved to Nashville, Tennessee, joining the Grand Ole Opry in 1957 . His syndicated television program, The Porter Wagoner Show, aired from 1960 to 1981 . There were 686 30-minute episodes taped; the first 104 in black and white and the remainder in color. At its peak, it was featured in over 100 markets, with an average viewership of over three million.[citation needed] Reruns of the program currently air on the rural cable network RFD-TV, and its sister channel in the UK Rural TV. The shows usually featured opening performances by Wagoner with performances by Norma Jean, or later Parton, and comedic interludes by Rhodes. During Parton's tenure, she and Wagoner usually sang a duet (Wagoner did not perform any duets with Norma Jean).[citation needed] Each episode also featured a guest who would usually perform one or two songs. A spiritual or gospel performance was almost always featured toward the end of the show; generally performed by either Wagoner or Parton, or the show's guest star, or occasionally the entire cast. .