The Porter Wagoner Show #108 with special guests Cousin Minnie Pearl and Ronnie Blackwell.
Promo for Porter Wagoner Show #108 with special guests Cousin Minnie Pearl and Ronnie Blackwell. Spot opens with Pearl surrounded by Wagonmasters, who look like a row of carrots in their matching bright orange suits against the lime green barn backdrop. Pearl steps up to mic saying "Howdy!," and asking us to tune into the show while the Wagonmasters play "She'll Be Coming 'Round The Mountain."
Introduction to Porter Wagoner show #108. Program opens with Wagoner and Wagonmasters Mack Magaha, Buck Trent, Speck Rhodes, Don Warden, and George McCormick as well as Norma Jean onscreen singing "Howdy Neighbor Howdy." Over brightly colored title card decorated with drawing of Wagoner, announcer Don Howser introduces Wagoner and The Wagonmasters, show regulars Speck Rhodes and Norma Jean, and "your favorite songs and stars of the Grand Ole Opry!" Howser enters and introduces Porter Wagoner, who wears one of his garish rhinestone-studded, western-themed Nudie suits. Porter welcomes audience, then plays guitar and sings "Uncle Pen" from his 1962 album "A Slice Of Life," backed by The Wagonmasters (who wear equally flashy bright orange western outfits). CU Mack's fiddle solo and Buck's rock 'n roll banjo.
Don Howser introduces Minnie Pearl by way of making a joke that, in comparing Paris fashions to Minnie Pearl's hometown of Grinder's Switch, comes off more as a non-sequitur than a rib-ticker. Minnie enters and greets the audience and Howser with her standard opener. "Howdy!" she says, taking Don's hand. "I'm just so proud to-- what's your hand doing so cold?" she asks. "You don't do no milking, do you? Boy, you'd scare them cows to death with them cold hands." Minnie keeps Don around to be her straight man as she goes into her routine, making reference to appearing for the first time in living color "...even though I'm half dead." Pearl tells a bunch of corny old-timey hayseed jokes about her kin folk and neighbors in Grinder's Switch.
Buck Trent, backed by The Wagonmasters, plays us out of the commercial break on the nicely twangy instrumental "Buck and The Five," a number Buck wrote with Hank Cochran that appeared on a single by The Wagonmasters.
Porter returns with the young Roma Lynn Beasler on his shoulder, who introduces the real famous country singer "Momma;" in other words, her mother, Norma Jean. Backed by The Wagonmasters, Pretty Miss Norma Jean plays guitar and sings "Don't Let That Doorknob Hit You" from her 1967 LP "Jackson Ain't A Very Big Town." CUs Buck and Mack.
Porter introduces a new talent he's met in his travels, "one of the finest country singers to come along," the Osborne Brothers' former bass player (and future Wagonmaster) Ronnie Blackwell. Backed by The Wagonmasters, Blackwell plays guitar and sings "Cupful By The Cupful."
Porter introduces gap-toothed comedian Rhodes, who enters wearing his trademark black & yellow checkered suit with bow tie and white bowler hat. Speck and Minnie trade jibes in a corny routine about modern dancing: "the monkey, or the watusi... whatever it is they do when they look like they've got a bad cold and they're trying to shake it off." Together they do the "Why Dance," then sing the comedy duet "Fly Away (My Pretty Little Pig)."
Announcer Don Howser steps in and plugs the show's fifth souvenir booklet, containing songs and stories and pictures. It can be yours for only fifty cents by mail. Nice colorful graphic of an envelope addressed to Porter Wagoner, Box 404, Nashville, Tenn 37202. Don introduces the gospel song for the day.
Backed by The Wagonmasters, Porter plays guitar and sings/recites "What Would You Do (If Jesus Came To Your House)."
Porter thanks audience for patronizing sponsors, then plays guitar and sings a song that "could be a true story," "Dear John (I Sent Your Saddle Home)." Nice unusual CU of Don's pedal steel. Porter wraps up the show. As the Wagonmasters play instrumental show outro and Howser signs off, Wagoner waves goodbye as Magaha fiddles and Speck and Minnie square dance. Speck takes his hat off and fans Mack's hot dancing feet.