2016 continues to be a punishing year for music legends, as today (4/6/16), we lost Merle Haggard on his 79th birthday. Haggard’s manager said he died at 9:20 a.m. in California. Haggard was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1994. He was best known for his 1969 hit Okie From Muskogee, along with dozens of other hits and and along with Willie Nelson was one of the true last country outlaws left.
Haggard recently cancelled many of his February dates due to health concerns. “He is still feeling weak from his recent struggle with double pneumonia and has decided to seek further treatment for it,” publicist Tresa Redburn said in a prepared statement following the cancellations. “Merle is hopeful he will be back on the road later in the spring.” Haggard had some double bills with Willie Nelson and Jason Isbell planned for the spring, we’ll stay tuned to see what happens with those dates now…
