Grand Ole Opry star Porter Wagoner.
May 30, 2007 — The International Fan Club Organization will present the IFCO Tex Ritter Award to Porter Wagoner at the 40th Annual IFCO FunFest Show on Monday at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.
Tex Ritter was a friend, supporter and longtime member of IFCO. Following his death in 1974, IFCO collaborated with his wife, Dorothy, to establish the award, which recognizes an artist, individual or group for their contribution to country music, the music community, and fans everywhere. Previous winners include Mother Maybelle Carter, Ernest Tubb, Ralph Emery, Roy Clark, the Oak Ridge Boys, Louise Scruggs, Robert K. Oermann, Bill Anderson and Jim Halsey.
Porter Wagoner's grand showmanship, rhinestone suits, and loyalty to the Grand Ole Opry have culminated in numerous awards, including four Grammys. He was recently honored as a 50-year member of the Grand Ole Opry.
Joe Diffie will headline the 40th Annual IFCO FunFest Show , which will feature performances by Trick Pony, Aaron Tippin, Chris Young, Ty Herndon, Todd Fritsch and Two Foot Fred. The show will also, for the first time, be broadcast on XM Satellite Radio/Highway 16, re-airing several times throughout June and early July. Additional air dates will be posted at ifco.org and xmradio.com.
The 2007 IFCO FunFest Show benefits Nashville's Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt.