“The Fightin’ Side Of Me,” “Workin’ Man Blues,” Today I Started Loving You Again,” “Mama Tried:” More than just song titles, Merle Haggard lived the songs he sang. And he had lots and lots of songs! He wrote over 600, 40 of them went to #1, and he put out more than 70 albums.
Hospitalized in early March with double pneumonia, he passed away two days ago, April 6th, his 79th birthday, surrounded by family and friends.
His son Ben posted this on Facebook: “A week ago dad told us he was gonna pass on his birthday, and he wasn’t wrong. He loved everything about life and he loved that everyone of you gave him a chance with his music. He wasn’t just a country singer. He was the best country singer that ever lived.”
Numerous TV channels have already aired tributes, but on Sat. you can catch AXS TV’s “Merle Haggard-Live At Billy Bob’s Texas”
Here’s a look back at that magical night, a little more than five years ago, when Merle Haggard received his much deserved Kennedy Center Honor.