Don Warden
| Don Warden | |
|---|---|
| Born |
March 27, 1929 Mountain Grove, Missouri, U.S. |
| Genres | country |
| Occupations | musician, manager |
| Instruments | slide steel guitar |
| Years active | 1950s–2000s |
| Associated acts |
Porter Wagoner Dolly Parton Red Sovine |
| Website | Don Warden Music |
Don Warden (born March 27, 1929) is an American country musician and manager best known for his years on The Porter Wagoner Show and as the manager of Wagoner and Dolly Parton.
Biography
Early life
Born to Reverend and Mrs. Charles Warden in Mt. Grove, Missouri, Warden grew up singing in church. A self-taught player, he was influenced by Leon McAuliffe with Bob Wills and The Texas Playboys.[1] Warden formed his own band during high school, The Rhythm Rangers, playing steel guitar and singing. He also had an afternoon radio show on KWPM-AM in West Plains, Missouri. The band gained popularity, moving on to Kennett, Missouri's KBOA-AM and KHWN-AM in Fort Smith, Arkansas, and gigs in East Texas honky tonks; eventually leading to Louisiana Hayride, backing The Wilburn Brothers and Red Sovine. Warden left the show in 1951 for a two-year stint with the US Army.
Returning to the Hayride after the Army, the Rhythm Rangers continued to back Red Sovine until Sovine left to join the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, leaving his band behind. Warden moved to St. Louis, Missouri, where he attended flight school and played local clubs in his spare time.
With Porter Wagoner
In 1966, singer Dolly Parton joined the show and Wagoner and Parton, backed by the Wagonmasters, became one of country music's most popular duos. Parton left the show in 1974 to pursue a solo career, and Warden joined her as her full-time manager, a job he has held since.
Warden was inducted into the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame in 2008.[2]