The Life Of Dolly Parton, The Queen Of Country Music

Mending The Wounds

Although they went through years of estrangement as she grew phenomenally more successful on her own, Dolly still came to her old mentor’s side on his deathbed. By 2007, at age 80, Porter Wagoner was about to succumb to his lung cancer. Dolly assured that she wouldn’t let him go without mending the relationship she had with the man who helped make her famous.

Parton told Knoxville’s News Sentinel, “It was really, really hard. I held his hand, and we prayed… Porter’s soul was already with God. All that was left was a shell.” Dolly was at Porter’s bedside as he passed.