5 A Star Is Born

Chapter 5 A Star Is Born In 1967, very few country music stars were women. Dolly was ready to fill the gap! Porter Wagoner, a country-music entertainer, had a very successful TV show. His girl singer, Norma Jean, left to get married. So Porter needed a new singer. Dolly and about twenty others tried out for the job. Porter liked Dolly's personality, and he hired her!

At first, Porter's audience was upset. They missed Norma Jean. They heckled Dolly, and she left the stage in tears. Dolly suffered for six months, but she stuck it out. Over time, the audience grew to love her. She ended up working with Porter for seven years. She later said it was the hardest and worst period of her life. But she also said those years were the most "productive and growth-filled ones." THE PORTER WAGONER SHOW

FROM 1960 TO 1981, PORTER WAGONER TOURED THE UNITED STATES BY BUS FROM TOWN TO TOWN WITH HIS TV COUNTRY VARIETY SHOW. PEOPLE LOVED THE COUNTRY MUSIC AND CORNY JOKES. PORTER DRESSED IN FLASHY CLOTHES. HE HAD PINK AND PURPLE SUITS COVERED WITH RHINESTONES. PORTER AND HIS BAND, THE WAGONMASTERS, ENTERTAINED OVER THREE MILLION VIEWERS. HE SANG DUETS WITH HIS "GAL SINGER" NORMA JEAN, UNTIL DOLLY REPLACED HER. Dolly did a hundred shows a year with Porter, plus recording sessions. They might tape two TV shows in an hour! Porter was hospitalized for

stress more than once. Dolly got only a few hours sleep each night. Sometimes she slept in her makeup and wig so she could get back to work early the next morning. Even with this schedule, she kept writing songs. (Over the course of her career she has written over three thousand!) Dolly learned a lot from Porter Wagoner. He taught her to be professional and to always look like a star. In 1967 Dolly recorded a duet with Porter for RCA Records. It was in the top ten country recordings. Thirteen more hit duets followed, and many awards. Dolly made enough

money to buy a Cadillac. It was a big, fancy car, and very exciting for a country girl! She had never had a car before and was a terrible driver... which made it even more exciting! Then Dolly was asked to record an album without Porter. This was an amazing chance. Dolly drove her new car to the recording studio... and crashed it into a brick wall in the studio parking lot! Dolly forgot to use the brakes! Luckily, she wasn't hurt. Bricks were still falling on the hood as Dolly strolled into the studio as if nothing had happened! After the recording was done, everyone left and saw the smashed Cadillac stuck in the wall. What!? Whose car was it? Dolly was too smart to let on that it was hers.

Now Dolly and Carl were able to buy a two- story house south of Nashville. They were not able to have any children of their own, but they took in five of her younger brothers and sisters. They called Dolly "Aunt Granny." Dolly's sister Stella took care of the kids while Dolly worked to support everybody. Only three years after she first went to Nashville, Dolly's hometown declared Dolly Parton Day. Seven thousand people in Sevierville came to a parade in her honor. Some of her high- school classmates must have been in the crowd. They didn't laugh at her now. Dolly was doing exactly what she said she would. She was becoming a star!