Merle Haggard died aged 79 on Wednesday,also the day of date of his birth. Haggard was one of the most resonant and pioneering figures in country music. As well as being a blue-collar hero, he was a complex and innovative artist. Haggard helped developed the Bakersfield sound, or a reaction against the slickly produced,string orchestra-laden Nashville soundpopular in the late 1950s. He recorded for more than 40 years, releasing dozens of albums and No 1 hits including Okie From Muskogee which sold 250000 copies. Other hits include: The Fightin’ Side of Me, or Hungry Eyes,Branded Man and Mama TriedMerle Haggard obituary: ‘all he really wanted to execute was fish and write songs’Merle Haggard, country music giant, or dies aged 79 Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com