John1948NineC's video: Merle Haggard - This Morning This Evening So Soon Pop Goes The Country Dec 7 1974

By Robert Silva Updated March 06, 2016. Merle Haggard's legacy as a songwriter and performer puts him on equal footing with such country legends as Johnny Cash and Jimmie Rodgers, both of whom are two of his major influences. His 1960s recordings epitomized the Bakersfield sound, and his strong output in the 21st century has consistently earned critical acclaim, even while the conventions of "new country" reign over the country music landscape. Merle Ronald Haggard was born on April 6, 1937 in Oildale, Calif., about 100 miles north of Los Angeles. His parents relocated there from Oklahoma during the Great Depression to find work. They lived in a converted boxcar. His father died of a brain hemorrhage in 1945, which left Haggard deeply affected, and his mother worked as a bookkeeper to support the family. His brother gave him a guitar when he was 12 years old and he taught himself how to play, seeking inspiration from the likes of Lefty Frizzell, Bob Wills, and Hank Williams. The Bakersfield sound was brewing and had picked up enough steam to gain a national presence, thanks to the help of Buck Owens. Mainstream country had a smooth, polished, string-heavy Nashville sound, while the Bakersfield sound evolved form honky tonk and Western swing. Electric instruments gave the music a hard, gritty, edgy sound. Haggard had minor success with a few songs released in the early 1960s, including "Just Between the Two of Us," a duet with Bonnie Owens. In 1964 he released his first Top Ten, "(My Friends Are Gonna Be) Strangers." 1966's Branded Man propelled his career and he was voted Top Male Vocalist at the Academy of Country Music. His songwriting progressed as he extracted material from his colored past. He became more of a fixture as his songs began to climb the charts: "Bonnie and Clyde" and "Mama Tried" both hit Number 1, and "I Take a Lot of Pride in What I Am" hit Number 3. Haggard has never been afraid of a little controversy, as evidenced by the Number 1 song "Okie from Muskogee." The song was an attack on hippies and sparked a ton of attention. Following its release Haggard became a full blown superstar. He followed up "Okie" with "The Fightin' Side of Me," a bold, patriotic tune. Over the next decade he didn't stop churning out hits. In 1981, Haggard signed with Epic Records and started producing his own records. His first two singles on Epic, "My Favorite Memory" and "Big City," were both number ones. He scored hit songs throughout the rest of the '80s, including the George Jones duet "Yesterday's Wine" and the Willie Nelson duet "Pancho and Lefty." By the mid-'80s the landscape of country music was changing. Fresh faces like George Strait and Randy Travis, both of whom idolized Haggard, started to dominate the charts. Their idol was now considered old-fashioned when compared to the new crop of slick, young artists, and he was having a tough time getting on the charts. The rest of the '80s and early '90s were relatively quiet times. Haggard came back with a vengeance when he signed with Anti Records in 2000, issuing If I Could Fly, which critics called some of his best work in years. In 2003 he returned to former label EMI and released a collection of pop standards titled Unforgettable. The Bluegrass Sessions followed. PLEASE NOTE: I divided my uploads among multiple channels, Bookmark this link in your browser for instant access to an index with links to all of John1948's oldies classics. LINK: http://john1948.wikifoundry.com/page/John1948%27s+Youtube+Index