Sunday Morning Country Classic Spotlight To Feature Merle Haggard

Join me Sunday December 14th for the life and music of Merle Haggard, a living legend on the Sunday Morning Country Classic Spotlight at 11 am. 

I call him the Hag.  He was born in Bakersfield, California on April 6, 1934.  Merle was a troubled youngster who served time in San Quentin prison but grew up to become a country music legend with 38 #1 hits and 250 original songs.  He remains one of the best known and most respected artists in country music.

Merle co-wrote Okie from Muskogee with Roy Burris.  'Okie' is a slang name for someone from Oklahoma and Muskogee is the 11th largest city in Oklahoma.  The song was released in September 1969 from the album of the same name.  By November it reached #1 on Billboard Magazine Hot Country Singles chart, where it stayed for four weeks.  The song and the album both took home CMA Awards in 1970.

The Fightin' Side of Me is a song written and performed by the Hag.  It was released in January 1970 from the album of the same name.  Like Okie from Muskogee, The Fightin' Side of Me cashed in on the working man's conservative values and politics.  This song went to #1 on the Country Chart and remained there for three weeks.

Merle also wrote and recorded Mama Tried.  In this song Haggard focused on the pain and suffering he caused his own mother by being incarcerated in 1957 in San Quentin.  Mama Tried was released in 1968 and became his fifth number one song.

You can hear all your favorite country classics on Sundays from 9 am to 1 pm.  We take your requests at 320-252-9897 or email dick@98country.com.