His mom and dad were the Okies from Muskogee — not their Bakersfield-born boy — but the loping tune about small-town pride made Merle Haggard a country music icon. Today, radio stations around the world are playing the song — which spent four weeks in the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles chart in November and December of 1969 — to honor Haggard, who died today on his 79th birthday.
Haggard’s manager, Frank Mull, confirmed that Haggard succumbed to the pneumonia that had plagued him for months, forcing him to cancer recent tour dates — a foreboding sign to Haggard’s multi-generations of fans.
“When I quit doing them (tours), the next big event is the funeral,” he told the Associated Press in a 1990 interview. “They keep me young.” And he rarely stayed off the road.
Fans hoping to remember Haggard — who parlayed an impoverished sickly youth and some time in San Quentin into a prolific song-writing career with 38 No. 1 hits — have a number of TV options beginning with tonight’s special CMT Remembers Merle Haggard,” which premieres at 8:30pm ET/PT. According to the network, the special will feature never-before-seen footage and interviews, vintage performance clips and commentary from Haggard himself as well as some of country music’s biggest stars including Miranda Lambert, Toby Keith, Florida Georgia Line, Vince Gill, Wynonna Judd, Dwight Yoakam, Brooks & Dunn and Bobby Bare.
Other highlights include:
- His final 2013 interview with CMT in which he reflects on his time in prison as the pivotal point in his life and how it shaped him as a man and musician
- The humorous side of the country music legend, such as Haggard on Glen Campbell’s Good Time Hour impersonating Buck Owen and Johnny Cash
- Haggard sharing his thoughts with CMT about receiving country music’s highest honors throughout the years.
Tomorrow, CMT will air an all-day tribute “All Merle, All Day,” featuring Haggard’s greatest songs and videos on CMT and CMT Music.
On Friday, AXS TV honors Haggard with a special airing of Dan Rather’s “The Big Interview” at 11:30 a.m. ET/8:30 a.m. PT. The special features Haggard’s candid conversation with Rather about everything from his time in prison to his political views, his time on the road with Bob Dylan, and his biggest fear in life. The episode originally aired on September 30, 2013. “The Big Interview” will encore Sat., April 9 at 9am ET and Sunday, April 10 at 8am ET.
Also on Friday, AXS will air “Merle Haggard-Live at Billy Bob’s Texas” at 12:30 p.m./9:30 a.m. PT. The concert features such songs as “Ol’ Country Singer,” “Folsom Prison Blues,” and “Natural High,” among others. The concert airs again on Sat., April 9 at 10 a.m. ET.
Tell us: what’s your favorite Haggard tune? Were you lucky enough to see him perform? Share your thoughts and memories in the comments section.