Only Merle Haggard. Never one who was shy or too scared to speak his mind, Merle was good friends with Ray Benson, frontman of Western swing band Asleep at the Wheel, who recalled a great story about ...

Merle Haggard was an escape artist. The future country music legend broke out of juvenile hall and prison 17 times by his own count as a teenager and young man. But his greatest escape was getting out ...

Merle Haggard enjoyed numerous artistic and professional triumphs, including more than 100 country hits (38 No. 1s), dozens of studio and live album releases, upwards of 10,000 concerts, induction ...

NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to Haggard's biographer Marc Eliot about his book: The Hag. Haggard spent his early years going from family tragedy to odd jobs to broken marriages to petty crime to prison.

Country giant Merle Haggard, who rose from poverty and prison to international fame through his songs about outlaws, underdogs and an abiding sense of national pride in such hits as "Okie From ...

Six new artists have been added to the upcoming Merle Haggard tribute concert. Rodney Crowell, Buddy Miller, Jake Owen, Aaron Lewis, Tanya Tucker and Chris Janson will all take the stage during ...

Sturgill Simpson thinks Merle Haggard was a legend. And he’s infuriated that the Academy of Country Music has named an award after him. “In Bloom” singer Simpson savaged the Academy of Country Music ...

When Merle Haggard died on his 79th birthday, April 6th, the world lost one country music's greatest performers and writers. Haggard originally began learning to play guitar at the age of 11, but his ...

Ethan Hawke, 55, is a longtime admirer and friend of Willie Nelson and has appeared with the country music legend at events ...

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1/2: Singer/songwriters Merle Haggard (left) and Kris Kristofferson share the stage Sunday night at Bluestem Center for the Arts. Special to The Forum. 2/2: From doing time in prison to topping the ...

The Bakersfield singer-songwriter, who thrived after an early life of crime and a prison term in San Quentin, died on his birthday. By Chris Morris Merle Haggard, who overcame a youth of deprivation ...