The Hag is 68 today.
I've always liked Merle Haggard. In the 60s, when everybody else was sucking up to hippiedom, Merle was skewering it with songs like "The Fightin' Side of Me." My daughter and I used to sing "Mama Tried" over and over on long car trips, and his "I Think I'll Just Stay Here and Drink" is downright cathartic for anybody who's ever been mistreated by a woman.
To me, one of the neatest things about Merle is that he performed for Bob Wills in 1973, at the last recording session of the Texas Playboys. Bob had suffered a stroke, and his old bandmates staged a reunion at his ranch. Merle drove all night from Chicago to Dallas to be there. Shortly after the show, Bob slipped into a coma, and died days later without ever regaining consciousness.
"Bob Wills - For the Last Time" is a great recording, and Merle made a good stand-in for the late Tommy Duncan. It's nice to know that Merle Haggard was one of the last voices the Western Swing legend heard in his life.
Merle, I hope you live to a hundred years, and your songs are remembered for a hundred more.
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