Introduction
Merle Haggard Dead at 79: From Prison to Country Music Legend
Next month, at a California ranch, President Reagan will host a special videotaped concert at the White House featuring Merle Haggard — a former San Quentin inmate whom Reagan pardoned while governor of California. Haggard, now at the pinnacle of country music, has a remarkable story, chronicled here by Bob Brown.
Merle Haggard has won nearly every major award a country music entertainer can earn, with 28 of his recordings reaching number one on the country charts. Yet among all his accomplishments, one stands apart: the journey from a troubled youth and prison inmate to a celebrated artist whose music resonates across generations.
“I’m Merle Haggard, and this is my band, The Strangers. I hope we can play something you enjoy, even on your way to the Moon someday,” Haggard once said. His music has been requested in extraordinary places — from San Quentin prison to the White House, and even for the Apollo 16 astronauts, who asked him to record a custom track for their mission.
Despite his fame, Haggard preferred the quiet of secluded places, particularly where he could fish. At his estate near Redding, California, he lives with his third wife, singer Leona Williams. The couple often detours for fishing trips, enjoying serene views of the Cascade Mountains, far from the hustle of the nearest big city, San Francisco.
Haggard’s life and emotions are woven into his music. He is a troubadour of working people, admired in the music industry not just for his easygoing style but for his deep respect for the roots of American music. He pays tribute to legends like Jimmie Rodgers, Lefty Frizzell, and Bob Wills, preserving their influence in his performances.
Yet behind the calm persona is a man driven by intensity. Haggard once stayed up for 48 hours just to perfect his fiddle playing. His personal life has been marked by insecurity and emotional struggle, shaped in part by his father’s death when Haggard was nine. His restless spirit led him to a fascination with trains — inspired by his father, a railroad worker — hopping freight trains from age ten, and living a nomadic, adventurous youth.
His early life of petty crime eventually led to San Quentin. “I woke up one day and found myself in the midst of a life of crime,” Haggard recalled. His experiences in prison, including witnessing a friend’s execution, profoundly affected him and inspired songs like “Sing Me Back Home,” reflecting the pain and camaraderie of incarceration. He learned lessons about honesty and integrity even behind bars, shaping both his character and his music.
Just 13 years after his release, Haggard found himself performing at the White House. His breakthrough came with the 1969 hit “Okie from Muskogee,” which captured national attention and sparked debate during the Vietnam War era. While controversial, it solidified his place as a voice of the working class, a man unafraid to express his beliefs through his songs.
Haggard’s music often deals with real-life struggles and emotions — practical dreams, daily hardships, and the fleeting joys of life. Even as he faced personal changes and the biological realities of aging, his devotion to his craft remained unwavering. In the studio, he communicates with musicians through subtle cues and shared intuition, bringing the stories in his songs vividly to life.
After intense periods in the spotlight, Haggard would return to the mountains to fish, reflecting on life’s twists and turns. “You have to be careful and lucky in life,” he noted. Yet, he attributed his long-term success not just to luck, but to desire and determination. These qualities, combined with his extraordinary talent, cemented Merle Haggard as one of country music’s greatest legends.