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Porter Wagoner had a singer on his show before Dolly Parton. He said she left because of the intensity of their affair.
In the years Dolly Parton was on Porter Wagoner’s show, many viewers wondered if they were romantically involved. Some people simply assumed they were a couple; when Parton left the show, people offered her condolences on her divorce. While Parton and Wagoner denied any romance between them, he did admit to having a relationship with the singer before Parton. She left the show because of it.
Porter Wagoner had an affair with the singer on his show before Dolly Parton
Before Parton joined The Porter Wagoner Show, the “girl singer” was Norma Jean Beasler. She was on the show from 1961 to 1967. She became popular with his fans and saw individual success because of it.
By the mid 1960s, Beasler had begun a romantic relationship with Wagoner. She reportedly wanted things to be more serious than he did.
“With me, business always comes first; any kind of love affair is much farther down the line,” he said, per the book Smart Blonde by Stephen Miller.
Their relationship ultimately led to the end of her time on the show.
“My affair got so intense, Norma Jean and I both decided it would [be] best if she left my show,” Wagoner said.
She got married when she left, and Parton joined the show. Many people believed Wagoner fell deeply in love with her, though Parton said she kept things platonic.
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