Jamey Johnson Honors Country Music Icon, Merle Haggard, With Cover Of “Pretty When It’s New”

Here’s to the Hag.

When it comes to a Mount Rushmore of Country Music, it’s pretty hard to have a conversation about it without mentioning the name Merle Haggard. Born in a converted boxcar in Depression-era California, Haggard had a turbulent youth marked by petty crimes and escapes that eventually culminated in a stint at San Quentin State Prison. It was there, however, that his life trajectory shifted after watching Johnny Cash perform for the inmates on New Year’s Day in 1960. Inspired to turn his life around, Haggard leaned heavily into his musical talents upon his release, channeling his lived experiences of poverty, rebellion, and incarceration into his songwriting. He transformed his troubled past into deeply relatable stories that would eventually earn him the title of the “Poet of the Common Man.”

With a staggering 38 number-one hits on the US country charts—including legendary tracks like “Mama Tried,” “Okie from Muskogee,” and “Workin’ Man Blues”—he gave a voice to the blue-collar working class, the outlaws, and those living on the fringes of society. A Grammy winner, a CMA and ACM Awards Entertainer of the Year winner, and a Country Music Hall of Famer, Haggard passed away on his 79th birthday in 2016, leaving behind a massive, fiercely independent catalog that remains the ultimate gold standard for honesty and grit in country music.

But with today marking what would have been Merle Haggard’s 89th birthday, a number of country music stars paid proper tribute. And a couple went as far to release full studio recordings of Merle Haggard hits. Cody Johnson released a surprise cover of the Hag’s “Footlights,” the first track on Merle’s 1979 album, Serving 190 Proof. And Jamey Johnson paid homage to the country music legend as well, recording and releasing a cover of “Pretty When It’s New,” a cut from Merle’s 2010 album, I Am What I Am.

When it comes to a Mount Rushmore of modern day country music singers who carry on the legacy of the greats that came before them, it’s hard to have that conversation without mentioning Jamey Johnson. He’s just an absolutely phenomenal ambassador for everything that is traditional country music.

“Honoring the legacy of Merle Haggard on his 89th birthday. Jamey Johnson’s “Pretty When It’s New” is out now.”

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