Country Music Hall of Famer Porter Wagoner celebrates his 50th anniversary as a member of the Grand Ole Opry on Saturday, May 19 with a special performance featuring Wagoner, Patty Loveless, Dolly Parton -- Porter's longtime duet partner in the '60s and '70s -- and others. Marty Stuart -- who produced Porter's upcoming CD Wagonmaster (out June 5 on Anti-) -- hosts a one-hour segment of the evening's event to be televised on Great American Country's "Grand Ole Opry Live," starting at 8 p.m. EDT.

The Martin Guitar Company is honoring Porter's half century with the Opry by introducing the Martin D-41 Porter Wagoner Custom Edition guitar. The visually arresting instrument is a fitting tribute to an artist instantly recognizable for his sparkling Nudie suits and flowing pompadour.

Meanwhile, Porter was "Committed To Parkview" this past weekend, as he shot a video with director Brian Barnes for the Johnny Cash-penned track. The first single from the forthcoming Wagonmaster was hand-picked for Porter more than 25-years ago by Johnny Cash (after having previously been recorded by Cash and with the Highwaymen).

Marty Stuart explains: "In 1981, I was on tour with Cash in Europe, and I had a Porter tape and played it for Cash, and he and I got into a Porter listening marathon. And Cash said, 'I got a song for Porter, called 'Committed to Parkview,' -- because they had both been guests there -- and he gave me an envelope with a cassette in it to take to him. Well, we got home and I forgot all about it, but when we were choosing material for this album, I remembered and finally found it."

Already, Wagonmaster is grabbing critics' ears. Writes Alanna Nash for Amazon.com: "One of the major problems with modern country revolves around the fact that -- save George Jones, Merle Haggard, and Loretta Lynn -- almost all the characters who poured the foundation for post-World War II hillbilly culture are dead or no longer recording. Which brings us to the miracle of Porter Wagoner's new album, Wagonmaster... a riveting collection of Southern Gothic numbers."