# Merle Haggard has passed **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 6, 2016, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merle-haggard-has-passed/751369 "2016-04-06T18:03:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2016, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merle-haggard-has-passed/751369/1 "2016-04-06T18:03:23Z")
I’ve just learned that Merle Haggard has [died](http://www.turnto23.com/news/local-news/country-music-legend-merle-haggard-turned-79-years-old-wednesday). He’s one of those performers whose nagging draw made me know that my childhood love of country music that wouldn’t die was just one of those things that I had to live with, and enjoy. [Mama Tried](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKuc4nfJByc&nohtml5=False) made it into the Library of Congress last month. It deserves to be part of our national history, I hope more of his songs make it in. If it’s not sharing too much, I’m gonna go cry myself to sleep now. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2016, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merle-haggard-has-passed/751369/2 "2016-04-06T18:07:04Z")
My favorites are dying. First Johnny, then Buck, now Merle. When Willie goes, it’ll be a dark day in the Lendervedder house. Hopefully Dwight has many, many years ahead of him. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2016, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merle-haggard-has-passed/751369/3 "2016-04-06T18:10:00Z")
Oh no! One of the last outlaws. Thank you, Merle. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2016, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merle-haggard-has-passed/751369/4 "2016-04-06T18:11:21Z")
He was the real deal. RIP. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2016, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merle-haggard-has-passed/751369/5 "2016-04-06T18:18:08Z")
On his birthday, even. Bummer. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2016, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merle-haggard-has-passed/751369/6 "2016-04-06T18:29:14Z")
Merle the pearl. We poor out a toast to you. ---
**Author:** ![somepumpkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@somepumpkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/somepumpkin)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2016, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merle-haggard-has-passed/751369/7 "2016-04-06T18:40:14Z")
I’ve heard his music for years, but only developed a full understanding and appreciation of/for him over the last few. His is a great story. I’d just -this weekend- learned about the honors bestowed upon his tune “Mama Tried” and had been \*rocking with \*him on Sunday. I was planning to see him and Willie when they stopped here next month, thinking that I may never get another chance. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2016, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merle-haggard-has-passed/751369/8 "2016-04-06T18:40:31Z")
He was a native of Oildale. We did some filming in Oildale back in the '80s when we needed to show a post-apocalyptic town/area. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_Bowe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df788c/32.png) [@Doug\_Bowe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_Bowe)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2016, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merle-haggard-has-passed/751369/9 "2016-04-06T18:43:15Z")
Rest in Peace, Merle. He was one of those artists who actually lived the songs he sang. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2016, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merle-haggard-has-passed/751369/10 "2016-04-06T19:23:52Z")
A country singer who actually sang country songs, unlike many of today’s posers. ---
**Author:** ![Lochdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/edb3f5/32.png) [@Lochdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lochdale)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2016, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merle-haggard-has-passed/751369/11 "2016-04-06T19:42:47Z")
Saw him with Bob Dylan (and knew nothing about him). He was wonderful. RIP. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2016, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merle-haggard-has-passed/751369/12 "2016-04-06T19:48:06Z")
Half of The Highwaymen are gone. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Waltzes\_with\_Cacti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90ced4/32.png) [@Waltzes\_with\_Cacti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waltzes_with_Cacti)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2016, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merle-haggard-has-passed/751369/13 "2016-04-06T19:49:21Z")
Is he the man who sang the theme song to _The Dukes of Hazard_? ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2016, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merle-haggard-has-passed/751369/14 "2016-04-06T19:52:52Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > Half of The Highwaymen are gone. ☹ 3/4. Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and now Merle. ETA: **Waltzes** , that was Waylon Jennings. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2016, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merle-haggard-has-passed/751369/15 "2016-04-06T19:53:40Z")
> [@Waltzes\_with\_Cacti](#): > > Is he the man who sang the theme song to _The Dukes of Hazard_? That was Waylon. ---
**Author:** ![Gordon\_Urquhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/db5fbb/32.png) [@Gordon\_Urquhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gordon_Urquhart)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2016, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merle-haggard-has-passed/751369/16 "2016-04-06T19:54:14Z")
Pretty bummed about Haggard’s death, although I knew he was in poor health in recent months. My dad has a bunch of his LPs, and so I grew up listening to him. Some of his songs are just so spot-on. If you’ve got the time, this quarter-century-old profile from the _The New Yorker_ is well worth the read: [http://longform.org/stories/ornery-merle-haggard](http://longform.org/stories/ornery-merle-haggard) ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2016, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merle-haggard-has-passed/751369/17 "2016-04-06T20:02:40Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > 3/4. Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and now Merle. > > ETA: **Waltzes** , that was Waylon Jennings. Now that you mention it, it’s 3/5. Wasn’t Kris Kristofferson part of The Highwaymen? ---
**Author:** ![Gordon\_Urquhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/db5fbb/32.png) [@Gordon\_Urquhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gordon_Urquhart)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2016, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merle-haggard-has-passed/751369/18 "2016-04-06T20:04:57Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > Now that you mention it, it’s 3/5. Wasn’t Kris Kristofferson part of The Highwaymen? The Highwaymen were Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson. Merle was not involved with the group. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2016, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merle-haggard-has-passed/751369/19 "2016-04-06T20:09:45Z")
RIP Merle. Listening to _Momma Tried_ right now. _sniff_ ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2016, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merle-haggard-has-passed/751369/20 "2016-04-06T20:13:45Z")
☹ I was hoping he’d beat this illness. He cancelled his tour in late Nov. Then was supposed to return I think in Feb. Then [Rolling Stone said he’d resume performing in April.](http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/merle-haggard-postpones-march-tour-after-pneumonia-returns-20160301)☹ Apparently even with the best medical care his body couldn’t shake off this pneumonia. We lost a giant today in the field of country music. Incredible songwriter and a performer. RIP Merle at least he died still doing what he loved most. > [@](#): > > But while he recovered, Haggard said he and his band continued to rehearse new material for another album with Willie Nelson, a follow-up to 2015’s, Django and Jimmie. “We’re having such good luck,” he said of the collaboration. "Our names together seem to be magic. Our first show together for the tour went on sale in Springfield and sold out in 10 minutes. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merle-haggard-has-passed/751369.md?page=2)