Legends Q&A: November 2007

November 2007

By Lew Jones

Porter Wagoner

Check in with Lew Jones for the latest on your favorite country legends!

Q: I heard Porter Wagoner was from Springfield, Missouri. Is that true?
(Brenda, Jasper, AR)

A: Close, Brenda. Porter was from West Plains, a bit over 100 miles southeast of Springfield. His connections to Springfield are substantial, however. Legendary regional radio station KWTO hired him in 1951, and an RCA Victor recording contract followed in 1952. Porter told me in a backstage Grand Ole Opry interview in 1998 that when Red Foley started his Ozark Jubilee program from Springfield, this gave him his first big boost on national TV. Porter is a long-time icon of the Grand Ole Opry, having recently celebrated 50 years of membership. I'm sad to report that on October 28, Porter passed away, having recently been diagnosed with lung cancer. We at GACTV.com send his family and friends our deepest condolences.

Q: Who is the first female artist to sell 1 million records? I heard it was Tammy Wynette, but I also heard Crystal Gayle.
(Nawaf, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)

A: You've given me a very hard question, Nawaf! And no matter what I say, someone is sure to disagree, so I'll discuss this and let you and the other readers reach your own conclusions. The one thing I can tell you is that it is neither of these talented ladies, Crystal or Tammy. The organization that certifies gold and platinum records is the Recording Industry Association Of America (RIAA.) However, there's a big problem, as Joel Whitburn puts it in his book, "Top Country Songs 1944 to 2005": "Some record labels have never requested RIAA certifications for their hits."

What I can do is point out several of the ladies for which fairly believable claims were made. The first of these was the late Patsy Montana (real name Rubye Blevins). Her recording of "I Wanna Be A Cowboy's Sweetheart" charted in early 1936. Whether or not it sold a million as claimed, it established the precedent that a solo female vocal recording could be successful. (This lesson wasn't really heeded by either country or pop music until the mid-1950s. Keep reading.) The next extremely important female solo performance that was claimed to be a million-seller was Kitty Wells' recording of "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels," which charted No. 1 in July of 1952.

RIAA does not list certification for either of these recordings. Did they sell a million? You decide. Now, the first certified million seller that I can identify turns out to be "Snowbird" by Anne Murray, which charted in mid-1970 and was certified in November of the same year. The next one on the list is "Rose Garden" by Lynn Anderson the following year. Why did country music start getting million-sellers so late? My radio colleague Jim Murphy says, "In the '30s and '40s, and well into the '50s, there were no all-country formatted radio stations. All country songs that sold in large numbers were "cross-overs" (into the pop field.) Even legendary stations such as WSM in Nashville played pop most of the time."

I hope this helps!

Q: Where is Doug Stone these days? I miss him very much. He had quite a sense of humor and I loved all the interviews on television. How is his health now?
(Joan, Barrie, Ontario, Canada)

A: Joan, after a few years off to work out a few personal problems, Doug is back with a new CD, entitled My Turn. He's now on a promotional tour of the U.S. to support the new recording, including the new single from it, "Nice Problem." During a radio interview with me just a week or so back, he had the entire staff in stitches with his descriptions of how poorly he supposedly fared in a recent divorce! If there was anything impairing his health, it certainly wasn't obvious.

Q: Which male singer sings, "If mamma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy"?
(Liz, Shamrock, TX)

A: It was Tracy Byrd, Liz. "When Mama Ain't Happy" came out in late 1998 and can be found on his MCA album, Keepers: Greatest Hits. A fellow Texan of yours, he was born in Beaumont and raised in Vidor.

Q: T. Graham Brown has a voice I just love to hear, and I would like to know if he will do another CD.
(Diane, Surprise, AZ)

A: He has one out now, Diane, titled The Present, which contains the single of the same name. You may also want to check out his brand new greatest hits compilation, Déjà vu All Over Again: The Best of T. Graham Brown, which just came out this year.