R.I.P. American music legend Merle Haggard:(AP) – Country giant Merle Haggard, who celebrated outlaws, underdogs and an abiding sense of national pride in such hits as “Okie From Muskogee” and “Sing Me Back Home,” died Wednesday at 79, on his birthday.
Haggard’s manager, Frank Mull, said the country icon died in Palo Cedro, California, of pneumonia.
That would be 38 No. 1 hits.A masterful guitarist, fiddler and songwriter as well as singer, the Country Music Hall of Famer recorded for more than 40 years, releasing dozens of albums and No. 1 hits.
He accepted the award for lifetime achievement and "outstanding contribution to American culture" from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 2010.
It's safe to say there will never be another like him.
BONUS: Charles Pierce has a nice personal piece about Haggard, as does Erik Loomis.
