Written by Basinradio on April 6, 2021
Country music pioneer Merle Haggard (April 6, 1937 – April 6, 2016) and his band the Strangers helped create the Bakersfield sound, which touted a rougher edge not heard on the more refined Nashville recordings of the same time period. After the death of his father, Haggard’s childhood and early adulthood were troubled and often punctuated by incarceration. After realizing the errors of his ways while sitting in prison, he launched a successful country music career which spanned decades and made him a legend. Learn more about this fascinating figure through these Merle Haggard facts!
10 Merle Haggard Facts
1) After their barn burned down in 1934, Haggard’s parents, Flossie and James, relocated from Checotah, Oklahoma to California.