Country music singer and West Plains native Porter Wagoner will be inducted Monday into the Hall of Famous Missourians. His bust will join 46 others sitting in the third floor of the Missouri Capitol Rotunda, including television journalist Walter Cronkite, conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh, and the 33rd U.S. President – Harry Truman.
Wagoner and singer Dolly Parton became a well-known duo on The Porter Wagoner Show throughout the late 1960s and early 70s. His first band, the Blue Ridge Boys, performed on Missourinet affiliate KWPM in West Plains from a butcher shop in town, where Wagoner cut meat. He also performed on a Springfield radio station KWTO in southwest Missouri. Wagoner died in 2007 at the age of 80.
Monday’s 1 p.m. ceremony is open to the public in the 4th floor upper House gallery. Wagoner was nominated by former Missouri House Speaker Todd Richardson. Representative David Evans of West Plains has helped to organize the event.
