- Born
- Died
- Birth nameMerle Ronald Haggard
- Nicknames
- Okie From Muskogee
- The Poet of the Common Man
- Hag
- Mighty Merle
- Height1.75 m
- Merle Ronald Haggard was an American country singer, songwriter, guitarist. Haggard was born in Oildale, California. His childhood was troubled after the death of his father. After being released from San Quentin State Prison in 1960, he managed to turn his life around and launch a successful country music career, gaining popularity with his songs about the working class. 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. He received many honors and awards for his music, including a Kennedy Center Honor (2010), a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (2006), a BMI Icon Award (2006), and induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (1977), Country Music Hall of Fame (1994).- IMDb mini biography by: Tango Papa
- SpousesTheresa Ann Lane(September 11, 1993 - April 6, 2016) (his death, 2 children)Debora J Parret(June 1, 1985 - 1991) (divorced)Leona Bell Williams(October 7, 1978 - December 3, 1984) (divorced)Bonnie Owens(January 28, 1968 - September 27, 1978) (divorced)Billie Leona Hobbs(April 16, 1956 - 1964) (divorced, 4 children)
- As an inmate at San Quentin from 1958 to 1960, Merle Haggard saw Johnny Cash play at the prison on January 1, 1959. It changed his life. Haggard was later granted a pardon by Ronald Reagan when the former actor was Governor of California.
- Has been vocal in his opposition to the state of current country radio programming, which he has said focuses more on younger, pop-country oriented acts rather than traditional stars.
- Son of James Frances Haggard and Flossie Mae Harp. Merle had 6 children: Dana, Marty, Kelli, Noel, Jenessa, and Ben.
- Has scored 38 No. 1 hits on Billboard magazine's country singles charts between 1967 to 1988. Among his biggest hits included "I'm a Lonesome Fugitive" (1967); "Sing Me Back Home," "The Legend of Bonnie and Clyde" and "Mama Tried" (all 1968); "Hungry Eyes," "Working Man Blues" and "Okie From Muskogee" (all 1969); "The Fightin' Side of Me" (1970); "If We Make it Through December" (1973); and "Twinkle Twinkle Lucky Star" (1988). He's also had duet hits with such performers as Leona Williams, Clint Eastwood, George Jones, Willie Nelson and Jewel.
- Recipient of the 2010 Kennedy Center Honors; other recipients that year were Oprah Winfrey, Jerry Herman, Paul McCartney, and Bill T. Jones.
- Willie Nelson's the one who told me the reason it costs so much to get divorced is because it's worth it.
- When George Jones died, we lost the greatest country singer who ever lived. Every time he stepped in front of a mike, he knocked me out. "She Thinks I Still Care' is my favorite. Then there's 'White Lightning', and the list goes on forever. His delivery on 'He Stopped Loving Her Today' is comparable to a fine opera. He's conveying something there about as well as it can be conveyed. I think he's with the Lord, probably having a great time , him and old Hank Williams and all the rest. ( Wait a minute now, Hank may not be there.) George was real .. the most down-to-earth old country boy - didn't want anything special. He was just George Jones and we loved him.
- In 1960, when I came out of prison as an ex-convict, I had more freedom under parolee supervision than there's available... in America right now.
- I've never been a guy that can do what people told me, it's always been my nature to fight the system.
- I would've become a lifetime criminal if music hadn't saved my ass
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