OT...The Hag is gone...

[Soonersincefitty]

Ole Merle Haggard died today on his 79th birthday.

He'd been fighting double pneumonia for months and still touring when he was up to it.
RIP dude.

 

[JConXtsy]

The Okie from Muskogee....
Silver wings, silver wings, silver wings

 

[WhyNotaSooner]

Yep, he was a good one. RIP Merle.

 

[Section22Sooner]

This one hit me hard. What a huge loss.

He may not have officially been one of Bob Will's Texas Playboys, but he cut a lot of recordings with Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys just before Wills died in the early 70's. Merle also recorded one heck of a tribute album to Bob Wills.

The guy was a hit machine. So many of his songs are classics, and some I sing to myself all the time. I really loved Cherokee Maiden, My Own Kind of Hat, Big City, Branded Man, The Way I Am...

Turn me loose. Set me free. Somewhere in the middle of Montana. RIP Merle.

 

[Soonersincefitty]

This one hit me hard. What a huge loss.

He may not have officially been one of Bob Will's Texas Playboys, but he cut a lot of recordings with Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys just before Wills died in the early 70's. Merle also recorded one heck of a tribute album to Bob Wills.

The guy was a hit machine. So many of his songs are classics, and some I sing to myself all the time. I really loved Cherokee Maiden, My Own Kind of Hat, Big City, Branded Man, The Way I Am...

Turn me loose. Set me free. Somewhere in the middle of Montana. RIP Merle.

Dad gum it, you're right.

He had 38 singles hit #1 on the Billboard country charts. That's pretty formidable, like legendary.

 

[Section22Sooner]

His greatest lines...

There's two kind of lovers
and two kind of brothers
And two kind of babies to hold
There's two kind of cherries
and two kind of fairies
And two kind of mothers
I'm told, yeah I'm told.

 

[K2C Sooner]

My personal favorite................I saw him live seven times. As the saying goes "I went to a Haggard concert and a Bob Wills concert broke out".

 

[Oklabama]

Shortly after my wife and I moved to Tulsa, new friends invited us to attend a show at Oral Roberts with tickets they had purchased from the local Fire Fighter's charities. This building was a very small campus venue that held maybe 300 persons tops. I really think it was even smaller, but is that even possible? Some of you that know the campus may have a better idea. The year was 1996 and to my surprise the artist was Merle Haggard....and he was fricking great. So we sat and listened to him sing all his great songs for about two hours looking on near the stage. (But really there wasn't a bad seat in the small house). Very little talking, just singing one song after another. Even though I have attended several concerts over the years, I've normally done so to please my wife or friends because I just don't enjoy listening to fans singing along mucking up the artist's work while sitting or standing in a room with thousands of other people. That evening the audience just listened and took it all in. The best night of musical entertainment I ever had. RIP Merle.

 

[Soonersincefitty]

His greatest lines...

There's two kind of lovers
and two kind of brothers
And two kind of babies to hold
There's two kind of cherries
and two kind of fairies
And two kind of mothers
I'm told, yeah I'm told.

Not to forget the lament of anyone that has had a DUI. (I haven't ever had one, that only due to sheer luck)

"Tonight, the bottle let me down".

 

[K2C Sooner]

Another great one..............

 

[K2C Sooner]

Okay this one is for 22. My cousins ran in the same circle. One of them is in the Bob Wills hall of fame..........

 

[Belldozer1]

This one hit me hard. What a huge loss.

He may not have officially been one of Bob Will's Texas Playboys, but he cut a lot of recordings with Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys just before Wills died in the early 70's. Merle also recorded one heck of a tribute album to Bob Wills.

The guy was a hit machine. So many of his songs are classics, and some I sing to myself all the time. I really loved Cherokee Maiden, My Own Kind of Hat, Big City, Branded Man, The Way I Am...

Turn me loose. Set me free. Somewhere in the middle of Montana. RIP Merle.

Agree. Great post. He always did at least 4 or 5 Bob Wills songs every show.

 

[PtLavacaSooner]

"I, the hunted fugitive, have just two ways. Outrun the law or spend my life in jail. I'd like to settle down, but they won't let me.........."

Rest in Peace Merle Haggard