# RIP Merle Haggard



## sags (May 15, 2010)

Country icon Merle Haggard will be remembered and missed. 

His music told the stories of life and he will join the many others from that era whose music touched the hearts of millions and was powerful enough to change lives.


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## indexxx (Oct 31, 2011)

My favourite Merle song- and very apropos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDDyyDjWM_0

I'm a heavy rock guy, but I was raised on outlaw country like Merle, Kris, Waylon, and Johnny. Honest music.


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

sags said:


> Country icon Merle Haggard will be remembered and missed.
> 
> His music told the stories of life and he will join the many others from that era whose music touched the hearts of millions and was powerful enough to change lives.


I`ve never been much into country music, prefer guitar jazz..that`s what I grew up on... 
but Merle was one of those country artist icons that will go down in the annals of country music as a bit different from the
rest of the country crowd. He was a rebel of sorts and had a huge truck driving fan club. 



> Merle Haggard once again hit a nerve with his fanbase when he recorded what would become his signature song — “Okie From Muskogee.” The song was inspired when Haggard and one of his band members saw a road sign for Muskogee, and one of them commented that they probably didn’t smoke marijuana. They began feeding off that line centered around a right-wing political view. After many years and changes in life, Haggard later changed his tune about politics, with recordings like “That’s the News” and a song for Hillary Clinton, proclaiming “Let’s Put a Woman in Charge!”


now lets join Merle and Willie for the last time.. proud to be a..."okie from muskogee" 
www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4AgZST_TG8

BTW..somebody otta chip in and get Willie a new guitar...:biggrin:
That mouse hole is getting larger every time I see him playing.


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## sags (May 15, 2010)

Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard in a music video that tells the story of Pancho and Lefty...................

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoKvUYbGu7A&nohtml5=False

Interesting that Merle Haggard regretted writing Okie from Muskogee, as it was taken as a patriotic song supporting the war in Vietnam. His original intentions were to support the soldiers, in view of the hippie protests.

He wrote the song after waking up on a bus traveling to a concert date,and looking out the window saw a highway sign that said 19 miles to Muskogee. He woke up the band drummer and they wrote the song in 15 minutes, performed it that night and it became a big hit.

The legacy of the song bothered him his whole life.

Haggard was in prison where he listened to country music. He resolved to change his life and became a big star. He was very adept at impersonating the other country stars.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4V3S7kGNjY&nohtml5=False


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## My Own Advisor (Sep 24, 2012)

Whatta legend...


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

sags said:


> Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard in a music video that tells the story of Pancho and Lefty.
> 
> Haggard was in prison where he listened to country music. He resolved to change his life and became a big star. He was very adept at impersonating the other country stars.


 It seems that some of the more famous country stars got their start in prison too...play it again..Johnny. 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDktBZzQIi


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

sags said:


> Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard in a music video that tells the story of Pancho and Lefty...................
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4V3S7kGNjY&nohtml5=False


it is sad that a lot of the artists we heard and knew about are starting to pass away in this decade.

Speaking of Glen Campbell..(seen in the video above), he had some great hits during the 70s. 

Haven't heard much of him in the last 20 years or so. i watched a autobiography about him on netflix..."I'll be me",
and it's sad to see him with the degenerative Alzhemiers disease. He's 79 in a long term care facility for the last few years.
Some of his famous songs was "Witchita Lineman".

Unfortunately, we will be hearing a lot more about these stars as they approach the expected average life of the male population.
The 70s age, seems to be a very vulnerable age when it involves personal health and health scares. 

I always have thought.."if you can make it past 80, you may actually get another extended 10 years...thanks to BIG PHARMA. 

During my recent health scare, I spent 3 days in a "assisted living" facility.. the average age there was 75...lots of them with partial dementia. 

While sitting across from them at the dinner table with nothing to start a conversation, ..i thought to myself.." what do I have in common with these residents?',,,,nothing right now...but give or take 10 years and maybe I will be in the same boat...


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## sags (May 15, 2010)

You still play the guitar Carverman ?

Do you sing the old country hits ?

My uncle just went into a retirement home. He plays the harmonica well enough to be in bands, and for years he entertained at a local Italian restaurant for free.

On rail trips he would entertain the passengers. These days I am told, the other residents love to hear his music drift through the retirement home in the evenings.

In my last house, there was somebody in the neighborhood who used to play the bagpipes on summer evenings. People would come out on their porches to listen.

There was something surreal about that. It just made everyone happy.


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## sags (May 15, 2010)

The old country singers often borrowed songs from each other and made them hits of their own.

Pancho and Lefty was a hit by Willie Nelson, but was written by Townes Van Zandt who was a talented musician and performer in his own right.

He wrote this song "Tecumseh Valley" and sings it here with Nancy Griffith.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7_oQU2vuUQ&nohtml5=False

Nancy Griffith performed duets with many others, including John Prine

The Speed of Loneliness..........some great guitar picking at the beginning and again at 2:18 of the video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2e9wWFg-pI&nohtml5=False

Nancy Griffith tells a delightful story on why she wrote her song..........Love at The Five and Dime

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GK462XnRjQ&nohtml5=False

The connections in the country music world just go on and on from generation to generation...............


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## zylon (Oct 27, 2010)

A few decades ago, I attended Merle Haggard concert in Calgary.
Was an okay concert; I suspected that Merle was having voice problems
because the sound man had the band drowning out the vocals most of the time.

Those were the days when Merle would occasionally do a disappearing act; you never 
knew if he would show up for a concert; he did however, make it to Calgary.

But the highlight of the evening was Ray Griff who opened the show for Merle.
Man, that guy could get those piano keys smokin'!

Couldn't find a video of Ray doing his thing on piano; this is a good one too. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZSwKWY4xz8&nohtml5=False

*Wherever it is that country singers go when they leave here;
Ray went ahead to open for Merle once again.*




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