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Many think Merle Haggard
was the most important country artist to emerge from the
1960s. He certainly was one of the most productive
songwriter, singer and performer in terms of pure country
hits. His style was fashioned right out of the Bakersfield,
California country scene that gave the world the likes of Buck
Owens, Wynn Stewart, Tommy Collins and later, Dwight Yoakam.
He idolized Bob Wills, and like him, pushed the country
envelope to include blues, folk, and even some jazz.
“Swinging Doors,” was one of his first smash hits, rocketing
to number five in the spring of 1966.
Merle Haggard was born
in Oklahoma to James and Flossie Haggard on April 6, 1937.
His parents moved from Oklahoma to California during the Great
Depression when times were tough. The family converted an
abandoned boxcar into a place to live, and were dependant on
the meager income provided by James. He supplemented that by
playing fiddle at local bars. After his father died from a
brain tumor when Merle was only nine years old, the young boy
became very rebellious. He landed in jail as a teenager where
he later was converted to a right way of life by a prisoner
who befriended him. Merle had learned to play the guitar when
he was 12, and fell in love with country music. He decided to
“go straight” and ended up pursuing a singing career.
It’s impossible to
separate Merle’s music from his early life. Having overcome
those first tumultuous years, he went on to be a great
performer, singer, songwriter and musician. He influenced
countless other artists and became their model for success in
country music. Haggard became a champion of the workingman,
building a strong following from that group, largely due to
his rough and tumble history. They considered Merle Haggard
as “one of them.” He honored them by recording “Workingman
Blues.”
As A struggling young
man, Merle attended a Lefty Frizzell concert in Bakersfield.
He went backstage and ended up singing a couple of songs for
Frizzell. Lefty was so impressed that he insisted that Merle
sing a couple of songs on the show. Merle went out and sang a
few songs to an enthusiastic response from the audience. That
reception persuaded him to actively pursue a musical career.
He worked during the day in oil fields and on farms, while
performing at local clubs at night in Bakersfield. This led
to a spot on a local television show, called “The Chuck
Wagon.” Things were looking up for Merle Haggard.
Merle Haggard became
a genuine country superstar in 1966, with three Top Ten hits,
including “Swinging Doors.” “The Bottle Let Me Down,” which
climbed to number three, and “The Fugitive” (later retitled
“I’m a Lonesome Fugitive”). It became his first number one
hit. He was voted the Top Male Vocalist by the Academy of
Country Music Awards, while he and Bonnie Owens, whom he later
married, were named the Top Vocal Group for the second year in
a row.
Haggard’s songwriting
was beginning to blossom and audiences embraced his music,
sending his “I Threw Away the Rose” to number three early in
1967, beginning a remarkable streak of 37 straight Top Ten
hits, including 23 number one singles. Four of them were
“Branded Man,” “Sing Me Back Home,” “The Legend of Bonnie and
Clyde,” and “Mama Tried,” a song that was heard in the movie,
Killers Three. This movie featured Haggard’s debut as
an actor.
Merle released three
singles in 1969 – “Hungry Eyes,” “Workin’ Man Blues,” and
“Okie From Muskogee” -- and all three reached number one. In
particular, “Okie From Muskogee” sparked a tremendous amount
of attention. An attack on the liberal hippies that
represented American pop culture in the late ‘60s, the song
struck a chord in audiences across the country, just missing
the pop Top 40. Because of the song, Haggard was asked to
endorse George Wallace in his bid for the Presidency, but he
refused. “Okie From Muskogee” cemented the singer’s stardom,
and he won a large amount of awards in 1969 and 1970. In both
years, he was named the Top Male Vocalist by the ACM and the
Strangers were voted the best band, while the new Country
Music Association voted him Entertainer of the Year and Top
Male Vocalist in 1970.
Haggard released a
sequel to “Okie” called “The Fightin’ Side of Me” at the
beginning of 1970, and it also shot to number one. That year,
he released a tribute to Bob Wills, which helped spark a
revival of Western swing in the '70s. The hits kept coming
for Merle throughout 1970 and 1971, including “Carolyn,” a
song written by his friend Tommy Collins about his wife. In
1972, the governor of California, Ronald Reagan, granted
Haggard a full pardon. The following year, his hit streak
continued, and he scored his biggest hit ever, “If We Make It
Through December,” which peaked at number 28 on the pop
charts. As his reign on the top of the country charts
continued in 1974, he played on Bob Wills’ last album,
entitled, For the Last Time. Wills died in 1975, leaving Merle
his fiddle.
Merle is still staying
busy and enjoying life. “This is a really good period for me,”
he affirms. “I’m in good health, I’m enjoying myself,
and my urge to make music is as
strong as it’s ever been. As long as I feel like I can
still do this, I will. I'm just trying to stay alive and stand
my ground.”
Merle Haggard Website
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