Results for Merle Haggard

Merle Haggard's life reads like a tattered paperback - a child of the Great Depression, fatherless at 9, a rebellious youth, a life of crime, a 15 year sentence in San Quentin, incorrigible until he embraced music, turning out to be one of the most successful and influential country music stars of all time. Born in Oklahoma but a child of Bakersfield, California, Merle Haggard fell in love with country music, especially that by Bob Willis, Lefty Frizzell and Hank Williams. At 12 years old, he was given his first guitar and taught himself to play, and his relationship with music redeemed a life fraught with sheer wild rebellion. A slew of charges eventually landed him in San Quentin, where he slowly turned his life around; when he emerged in 1960 after only 3 years he embraced a life-long career in music. With themes of jail, betrayal and nomadic wondering prevalent throughout his tunes, he speaks for the working man. Merle Haggard changed the face of country music and remains a revered and legendary figure today.“more

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  • Deer Tick

    by Michael MillerJune 24, 2009Comments (0)

    "McCauley aspires to seriousness with his lofty ramblings on loneliness and depression, but what Deer Tick lacks is conviction." (read more)

  • Bonnaroo: June 11-14, Manchester, TN

    by Greg GastonJune 23, 2009Comments (0)

    Bonnaroo stands outside the hamlet of Manchester, TN, on a 700-acre farm, an hour south of Music City. Every summer, Bonnaroo becomes Tennessee’s sixth largest city, and the festival even publishes its own daily newspaper, the Beacon. (read more)

  • Steve Earle

    by j. poetMay 14, 2009Comments (1)

    "Earle puts his own stamp on the material and lets the songs speak for themselves." (read more)

  • John Doe and the Sadies

    by Angela ZimmermanMay 4, 2009Comments (0)

    "With Toronto-based alt-country roots outfit the Sadies behind him, Doe takes off into a land of old-school honky tonks amid a neo-sensibility." (read more)

  • Jorma Kaukonen

    by Mick SkidmoreFebruary 18, 2009Comments (1)

    "it is among his best and most diverse work, and should delight most diehard fans and more" (read more)

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