Dayne “Woop Woop” Puckett: Traveled with the stars

NOTE: This is Part 6 of a series leading up to the Highland County Historical Society inducting five more members into its Hall of Fame on Aug. 17. This week, we profile the late Dayne “Woop Woop” Puckett.

By Steve Roush
HCP columnist

Ladies and gentlemen, during his career, Dayne “Woop Woop” Puckett (1940-2022) traveled more than 7 million miles with the stars and worked more than 7,000 shows. The Sinking Spring native was known as a Country singer, Gospel singer and a Bachelor Singing Salesman.

The stars he toured with and knew shone brightly. He toured two years with Jerry Lee Lewis (Jerry Lee took Dayne to meet Elvis Presley at Graceland), 10 years with Charley Pride, five years with Merle Haggard, two years with Dolly Parton (there’s a photo of Dayne with Dolly at the Sinking Spring corporation line when the famous country singer had her tour bus take a detour to visit Sinking Spring and have a meal with Puckett’s family), and Reba McEntire for two years (Reba called him and said, “They told me in Nashville that you are the top salesman in the U.S. I want you to come work for me!”). 

He also was associated with Ronnie Milsap, Barbara Mandrell, Tanya Tucker, Mel McDaniel, Roy Acuff, Marty Robbins, Mel Tillis, Tammy Wynette, Loretta Lynn, Bobby Smith and many others. In 1991, he began traveling with the Van-Dells and was with them for 30 years.

He appeared on the famous television show “Hee-Haw,” where he sang his song, “I’m a Nut – Woop-Woop,” and also appeared on the “Bob Braun Show” among other TV shows. Many times, he sang on the Ernest Tubb Midnight Jamboree in Nashville, Tenn., performed on the Grand Ole Opry and he sang and sold at many Country Music shows and introduced many Country Music Hall of Fame Stars.

But he never forgot his roots. He gave Sinking Spring a shoutout on “Hee-Haw,” saying, “Population 202 Woop-Woop,” and the first time he sang live on the radio was in Hillsboro, thanks to the late Willard Parr. He wrote and recorded “God’s Hall of Fame” with co-writer and producer Steven Lake. Sinking Spring and Highland County was always his home.

Dayne also was on the Cincinnati Reds charity softball team during the Pete Rose and Johnny Bench era traveling all over southern Ohio doing charity events.

Dayne Puckett passed away Nov. 16, 2022 at the age of 82.

In addition to Dayne Puckett, the 2025 Highland County Historical Society Hall of Fame inductees are Bill and Janet Butler, the late Al and Alice Cassner, the late Mary Muntz, and the late Virginia Bell Thompson Telfair, granddaughter of C.S. Bell.

The recipients will be honored at an induction ceremony Sunday, Aug. 17 at 2 p.m. at the Presbyterian Church in Hillsboro, followed by a reception at Highland House directly across the street from the church. The public is cordially invited.

For more information on the society or the upcoming Hall of Fame ceremony, please call (937) 393-3392 or email the society at hchistoricalsociety@gmail.com.
 
Steve Roush is president of the Highland County Historical Society and served as chairman and vice chairman on the HCHS Board of Trustees for two terms, a board member of the Highland District Hospital Foundation, a vice president of an international media company and a columnist and contributing writer for The Highland County Press. He can be reached by email at roush_steve@msn.com.