A burger fit for a king (and Dolly's still the queen)

Well, I was in a bit of a pickle for about 15 minutes last night. Meeting friends at a new (to me) restaurant on Market Square -- The Stock and Barrel -- I noticed the specialties were burgers and bourbon.

I'm a beer guy when it comes to potent potables, so that was no problem. But did they ever have a selection of burgers.

"What shall I get?" I said to myself as I scanned the menu.

And then I saw it.

Peanut butter. Fried bananas. Bentons' bacon.

I know what you're thinking. And you're right. The burger is called The Elvis.

I did a double take. Too good to be true. But no. It was there.

I came. I ate. I conquered.

Next time you're downtown, stop by. The service and food are superb. And, chances are, you'll find a burger you will love, whether it's The Elvis or The Billy or even the Free Bird.

Oh, and by the way: in case you missed it, my buddy Bradley Reeves had a fantastic show last night on WDVX-FM. Boy, howdy. The highlight of the evening were RARE Dolly Parton recordings, including a live performance from 1960 on a Maryville, Tenn., radio show and some other goodies.

Do not miss this one, y'all. The program will be archived for two weeks and can be found by visiting the WDVX website, clicking on Archives, scrolling to Thursday, Sept. 5, and beginning with the 10 p.m. hour "East Tennessee Quiver." The rare Dolly recordings begin about 11 p.m.

Wait until you hear Dolly sing "Making Believe." That's country music, y'all.

'Making plans': So long to Porter

You say tomorrow you're going/It's so hard for me to believe...

Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton never sounded as good away from each other. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Wagoner, who died over the weekend at age 80, "discovered" Dolly and brought her to Nashville in the '60s. The duo had a string of hits together, including "The Last Thing On My Mind," "Daddy Was an Old-Time Preacher Man," "Just Someone I Used to Know" and one of the greatest country records of all time, "Making Plans."

Porter was a big star in his own right. His hits included "Company's Comin'" and "A Satisfied Mind." He became best known for the flashy rhinestone outfits he continued to wear years after they went out of style on his regular Saturday night appearances on the Grand Ole Opry.

But when he and Dolly hooked up, something magical happened. My grandparents said they once saw the two of them standing in the bed of an old truck, singing in the parking lot at one of the shopping centers in Halls. They had no clue as to who either of them were, so they kept on walking.

I'm making plans for the heartaches/Cause you're making plans to leave...

Porter's music was simple and direct. He didn't have what you would call a good voice, but his songs were honest. You'd never catch him, for example, swinging from a rope.

Dolly apparently broke his heart when she left, destined for movies with Burt Reynolds, "9 to 5" and superstardom. Despite all those hits, I don't think she ever sounded as good without that tall fella in the flashy jacket.

U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander said, "Porter Wagoner had a great style and a big heart. I'll miss him, but I am grateful to still have his music."

If you want to hear Porter Wagoner's greatest legacy, the one they'll still talk about years from now, find that "Greatest Hits" album of his with Dolly Parton. Skip all the way down to "Making Plans."

Now that, folks, was country music.

Godspeed, Porter.