Although he was outspoken in his dislike for modern country music,[83] he praised George Strait, Toby Keith, and Alan Jackson. Haggard's songs attracted attention from outside the country field. His producer, Ken Nelson, discouraged him from releasing it as a single. [100], In March 2016, Haggard was once again hospitalized. I could tell he was in a dark mood ... and I said, 'Is everything okay?' And I thought, 'You sons of bitches, you've never been restricted away from this great, wonderful country, and yet here you are in the streets bitchin' about things, protesting about a war that they didn't know any more about than I did. [122] Despite these critiques, the Grateful Dead performed "Mama Tried" over 300 times,[123] and "Sing Me Back Home" approximately 40 times. "[88], Haggard's last recording, a song called "Kern River Blues," described his departure from Bakersfield in the late 1970s and his displeasure with politicians. The guitar is a modified Telecaster Thinline with laminated top of figured maple, set neck with deep carved heel, birdseye maple fingerboard with 22 jumbo frets, ivoroid pickguard and binding, gold hardware, abalone Tuff Dog Tele peghead inlay, 2-Colour Sunburst finish, and a pair of Fender Texas Special Tele single-coil pickups with custom-wired 4-way pickup switching. Cooper notes that the news had little effect on Haggard's career: "It's unclear when or where Merle first acknowledged to the public that his prison songs were rooted in personal history, for to his credit, he doesn't seem to have made some big splash announcement. He worked a series of laborer jobs, including driving a potato truck, being a short order cook, a hay pitcher, and an oil well shooter. "[34], Producer Ken Nelson took a hands-off approach to produce Haggard. "[83], In 2005, Haggard was featured as a guest vocalist on Blaine Larsen's song "If Merle Would Sing My Song." Both "Okie from Muskogee" and "The Fightin' Side of Me" received extensive airplay on underground radio stations, and "Okie" was performed in concert by protest singers Arlo Guthrie and Phil Ochs.[40]. From "Mama Tried" to "Silver Wings," the essential tracks of Merle Haggard. In addition, his and The Strangers song "Swingin' Doors" can be heard in the film Crash (2004),[66] and his 1981 hit "Big City", where he is backed by The Strangers, is heard in Joel and Ethan Coen's film Fargo. Haggard continued to release successful albums into the 2000s. [46], On his next single, "The Fightin' Side of Me," released by his record company in 1970 over Haggard's objections, Haggard's lyrics stated that he did not mind the counterculture "switchin' sides and standin' up for what they believe in," but resolutely declared, "If you don't love it, leave it!" We want to hear from you! [13], Haggard committed a number of minor offenses, such as thefts and writing bad checks. Between the 1960s and the 1980s, he had 38 number-one hits on the US country charts, several of which also made the Billboard all-genre singles chart. They had four children: Dana, Marty, Kelli, and Noel. "[39] However, he made several other statements suggesting that he meant the song seriously. He would discuss jazzman Howard Roberts guitar playing, life after death and the unique speaking technique of Garner Ted Armstrong of The World Tomorrow with enthusiasm and authority. He's great. He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1977,[2] the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in 1994,[3] and the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in 1997. The following year, he had his first national top-10 record with "(My Friends Are Gonna Be) Strangers," written by Liz Anderson, mother of country singer Lynn Anderson, and his career was off and running. Haggard appeared on the cover of TIME on May 6, 1974. And he said, 'I'm really scared.' Soon, he was performing again and later began recording with Tally Records. In 1972, Haggard agreed to produce Gram Parsons's first solo album but backed out at the last minute. Married and plagued by financial issues,[12] he was arrested in 1957 shortly after he tried to rob a Bakersfield roadhouse. After another escape, he was sent to the Preston School of Industry, a high-security installation. '", as it was the subject of this Garner Ted Armstrong radio program. He also played six-string acoustic models. After CBS Records Nashville avoided releasing the song, Haggard bought his way out of the contract and signed with Curb Records, which was willing to release the song. Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. "[33] Daniel Cooper calls "Sing Me Back Home" "a ballad that works on so many different levels of the soul it defies one's every attempt to analyze it. In a May 1967 profile in Music City News, his prison record is never mentioned, but in July 1968, in the very same publication, it's spoken of as if it were common knowledge."[32]. The album's lead single, "It's All Going to Pot", was a subtle reference to smoking marijuana, and the music video for the song showed Haggard and Nelson smoking joints while singing in a recording studio. Haggard and Owens divorced in 1978 but remained close friends as Owens continued as his backing vocalist until her death in 2006. And he said, 'Cause I'm afraid someday I'm gonna be out there ... and there's gonna be ... some prisoner ... in there the same time I was in, stand up—and they're gonna be about the third row down—and say, 'What do you think you're doing, 45200?'" Haggard's last number-one hit was "Twinkle, Twinkle Lucky Star" from his smash album Chill Factor in 1988. 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