Merle Haggard
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Merle Haggard Bio and Merle Haggard
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Merle Haggard Bio
As a performer and a
songwriter, Merle Haggard was the most important
country artist to
emerge in the 1960s. Merle Haggard became one of the leading figures of the
Bakersfield country scene in the
'60s. While his music remained hardcore
country, he pushed the boundaries of the music quite far. Like his idol
Bob Wills, his music was a melting pot that drew from all forms of
traditional American music -- country,
jazz, blues, and folk -- and in
the process, developed a distinctive style of his own. As a performer,
singer, and musician, he was one of the best, influencing countless
other artists. Not coincidentally, he was the best singer/songwriter in
country music since Hank Williams, writing a body of songs that became
classics. Throughout his career, Haggard has been a champion of the
working man, largely due to his rough and tumble history. |
Merle Haggard Bio |
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It's
impossible to separate Merle Haggard's music from his life. Merle
Haggard was born
to James and Flossie Haggard on April 6, 1937. His parents moved from
Oklahoma to California during the Great Depression, converting an old
boxcar into a home. Before their marriage, James played fiddle in local
honky tonk bars. Flossie was a member of the Church of Christ, which led
to her forcing her husband to stop playing the honky tonks. James died
from a brain tumor when Merle was nine years old. After his father's
death, Merle became rebellious. In an attempt to straighten her son out,
his mother put him in several juvenile detention centers, but it had
little effect on Merle's behavior. As a teenager, he fell in love with
country music, particularly Bob Wills, Lefty Frizzell, and Hank
Williams. When he was 12 years old, Haggard was given his first guitar
by his older brother; Merle taught himself how to play by listening to
records that were lying around the house
Even when success eluded him, Merle
Haggard's music remained some of the most consistently interesting and
inventive in country music. Not only have his recordings remained fresh,
but each subsequent generation of country singers show a great debt to
his work. That fact stands as a testament to his great talent even more
than his induction to the Country Music Hall of Fame. ~ Stephen Thomas
Erlewine, All Music Guide |
Merle
Haggard Guitars For Sale
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