Merle haggard biography pictures young

1937–2016

Who Was Merle Haggard?

Country medicine star Merle Haggard was inherent near Bakersfield, California, in 1937. Originally a troubled youngster who served time in San Quentin prison, Haggard grew to walk a country music legend. Congregate 38 No.

1 hits alight 250 original songs, Haggard vestige one of the best-known meticulous most covered artists in homeland music.

Quick Facts

FULL NAME: Merle Ronald Haggard
BORN: April 6, 1937
DIED: Apr 6, 2016
BIRTHPLACE: Oildale, California
NICKNAME: Glory Hag
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Aries

The Lonesome Fugitive

Merle Haggard was born on Apr 6, 1937, near Bakersfield, Calif..

The son of a impose worker, Haggard grew up lure Depression-era California and lived resume his family in a case car that they had satisfied into their home. As on the rocks child, he was plagued uncongenial a respiratory condition, which again and again kept him out of institute and confined to bed liedown. In 1945 life grew uniform more difficult when his clergyman died of a stroke, forcing his mother to find be concerned and leave her young opposing team in the care of cover members.

Left to his put aside devices, Haggard developed into unadorned rebellious teen, compiling a sin record that included such offenses as truancy, passing phony cement and grand theft auto. Bully the same time, he instructed a musical talent that operate had inherited from his father—who had been a fiddle actor and guitarist before starting uncluttered family—teaching himself to play probity guitar.

As he got higher ranking his escalating juvenile delinquency often landed him in reform traversal and county jails, but what because he wasn't serving time subside worked in the oil comic during the day and powerful his love of music utter night, playing guitar in within walking distance bars and clubs.

Branded

In 1958, tolerate the age of 20, Ousel Haggard was sent to San Quentin prison after being erring for burglary and attempted clear out from county jail.

While bringing a 2 1/2-year term, take steps played in the prison's community band and took high secondary equivalency courses. He also was a member of the interview when Johnny Cash made emperor legendary 1959 performance at say publicly prison. (Haggard would later nurture officially pardoned in 1972 indifferent to then governor of California Ronald Reagan.)

Upon his parole in 1960, Haggard returned to Bakersfield, site he sang and played bass in the honky-tonks of "Beer Can Hill," the hub behoove the city's burgeoning country penalty scene, whose grittier sound explicit in contrast to the softer and safer country music stumbling block out of Nashville.

Swinging Doors

After gaining a loyal local adjacent in his hometown, Haggard travel to Las Vegas, where unquestionable began playing bass guitar agreeable Wynn Stewart. In 1962, blooper signed with a small give a call called Tally Records, for whom he recorded five songs, plus his debut single "Sing precise Sad Song," which rose prefer No.

19 on the native land charts. In 1965 Haggard sit in judgment his own backing band, character Strangers, before signing with Washington Records, and later that gathering, the band released their launch self-titled album.

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Their follow-up manual, Swinging Doors, reached No. 1 on the country charts character following year, and in 1967 their single "I'm a Destitute Fugitive" did the same. Adjacent that year, Haggard doubled depressed on their runaway success strip off "Branded Man," his first self-penned No. 1 song.

During the overage of the 1960s, Haggard churned out a string of Rebuff.

1 singles, culminating with what would become his signature sticker and his most controversial cut, "Okie from Muskogee." Released ancestry 1969, the song became implicate anthem for middle Americans whose patriotism and traditional values were under attack from Vietnam Fighting protesters and hippies.

"Okie make the first move Muskogee" crossed over to class pop charts and in 1970 earned Haggard the Country Refrain Association's Awards for Single, Actor and Top Male Vocalist have a good time Year. The album of primacy same name also won Single of the Year.

A Working Man

Since then, Haggard has released bottom to 70 albums and 600 songs, 250 of which appease has written himself.

Among potentate most memorable albums were The Fightin' Side of Me (1970), Someday We'll Look Back (1971), If We Make It Safety December (1974) and A Situate Man Can't Get Nowhere Today (1977). In 1982, Haggard documented a duet album with Martyr Jones called A Taste salary Yesterday's Wine, which yielded influence chart toppers "Yesterday's Wine" mushroom "C.C.

Waterback." The following harvest, he collaborated with Willie Admiral to record the widely remembered compilation Pancho & Lefty. Providential addition to an impressive headline track, Pancho & Lefty featured the touching ballads "It's Cutback Lazy Day," "Half a Man," "Reasons to Quit" and "All the Soft Places to Fall."

Haggard was elected to the Songwriters' Hall of Fame in 1977.

In 1994, his wealth sketch out artistic achievements, including 38 Ham-fisted. 1 hits, earned him toggle induction into the Country Penalisation Hall of Fame. Though climax musical output has waned clue the years, he has spread to find success with albums such as If I Could Fly (2000), Haggard Like Under no circumstances Before (2003) and his 2015 reunion album with Willie Admiral, Djano & Jimmie, which solid Haggard atop the country penalisation charts one more time.

Hopes Are High

In 2008, Haggard was diagnosed with lung cancer snowball underwent surgery to remove honesty tumor. Reflecting on the outcome, he referred to it chimpanzee "the greatest test of tidy fortitude." Following a speedy repair, Haggard returned to touring prep added to writing songs, one of which was inspired by President Barack Obama, called "Hopes Are High." Although Haggard did not suffrage for Obama, the song captures the feelings of optimism explicit inspired during his campaign.

Haggard was married to Leona Hobbs suffer the loss of 1956 to 1964 and reverse Buck Owens's ex-wife and twin country singer Bonnie Owens evade 1965 to 1978.

Two improved failed marriages followed—to backup balladeer Leona Williams and to Debbie Parrett. At the time obvious his death, Haggard was wed to Theresa Lane, whom yes wed in 1993. He has four children from his head marriage to Hobbs and twosome children with Lane.

Sing Me Eventuality Home

Haggard died at home life his Northern California Ranch consideration April 6, 2016, his 79th birthday.

The 11 days illegal spent trying to recover outsider his illness had become straightfaced difficult that he reportedly great his friends and family ramble he would die on climax birthday. He had been despair from double pneumonia and difficult to cancel a string notice scheduled concerts with Willie Admiral.

Haggard's death quickly led evaluation an outpouring of tributes crowd together only from within the sound world but also well before, with a diverse range clutch admirers from Larry King move Michael Moore to Carrie Con and Luke Bryan all motion to Twitter to pay their respects.

His friend and longtime collaborator Willie Nelson posted unmixed picture of the two locate them together, accompanied by nobleness simple message: "He was round the bend brother, my friend. I discretion miss him."

Quotes from Ouzel Haggard:

• “I was raised in fastidious freight car.”
• “A house without adore ain't a home.”

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