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Here\u2019s to the Hag.<\/p>\n
When it comes to a Mount Rushmore of Country Music, it\u2019s 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\u2019s 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 \u201cPoet of the Common Man.\u201d<\/p>\n
With a staggering 38 number-one hits on the US country charts\u2014including legendary tracks like \u201cMama Tried,\u201d \u201cOkie from Muskogee,\u201d and \u201cWorkin\u2019 Man Blues\u201d\u2014he 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.<\/p>\n
But with today marking what would have been Merle Haggard\u2019s 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\u2019s \u201cFootlights,\u201d<\/a> <\/strong>the first track on Merle\u2019s 1979 album,\u00a0Serving 190 Proof.\u00a0<\/em>And Jamey Johnson paid homage to the country music legend as well, recording and releasing a cover of \u201cPretty When It\u2019s New,\u201d a cut from Merle\u2019s 2010 album,\u00a0I Am What I Am.<\/em><\/p>\n 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\u2019s hard to have that conversation without mentioning Jamey Johnson. He\u2019s just an absolutely phenomenal ambassador for everything that is traditional country music.<\/p>\n \u201cHonoring the legacy of Merle Haggard on his 89th birthday. Jamey Johnson\u2019s \u201cPretty When It\u2019s New\u201d is out now.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Check it out:<\/p>\n