“I Kept Asking for a Raise and Never Got One”: Dolly Parton Gets Candid on Touring With Mentor Porter Wagoner

It should come as no surprise that Dolly Parton has a net worth of over $650 million. Even when looking outside her music career, she was an actress, author, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. But at her core, Dolly was a country singer. Before becoming a country music icon, the singer was a struggling artist with a dream. And during those early years, she joined The Porter Wagoner Show. While always grateful for the love and support Wagoner showed her over the decades, Dolly revealed how she never saw a raise when performing with her mentor. 

Releasing her newest book, Star of the Show: My Life on Stage, Dolly recalled her past with Wagoner and his television show. The singer first appeared on the series when replacing Wagoner’s former duet partner Norma Jean. Dolly wrote, “He offered me $60,000 a year – but that was like $1 million to me! That was a lot of money back then.”

While shocked by the amount of money she received from Wagoner, Dolly quickly noticed the power of her stardom. Able to draw a crowd thanks to her talents and persona, she added, “Porter made a lot of money as our stars rose, and he shared some of the wealth. The Wagonmasters all got bonus checks now and again, and Porter showered me with gifts.”

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Dolly Parton Wanted Money Instead Of “Necklaces” And “Cadillacs”

Dolly admitted a gift from Wagoner included “necklaces, rings, and a Cadillac.” But what didn’t come with the extravagant gifts was a raise. “My paycheck never changed through all of that. I kept asking for a raise and never got one. He would buy me all these things and say, ‘Consider that your raise.’ I said, ‘I don’t want the gifts. I want to buy my own gifts. I want the money.’”

Eventually, Dolly knew it was time for her to leave the show. Wanting to establish a solo career, she noted, “I was making my way as an artist, and he was already an established one. It was his show, but I was trying to grow in the business and grow as an artist myself.”

As Dolly’s career outgrew The Porter Wagoner Show, she always celebrated her time and friendship shared with Wagoner. The singer sadly passed away on October 28, 2007, after battling lung cancer.

(Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)