Haggard Merle, *6 April 1937 Bakersfield (California), †6 April 2016 Palo Cedro (California), American singer, guitarist, composer and country songwriter. From childhood, he took on various jobs and gained a thorough understanding of life in San Quentin Prison (1957–1960), where he was sentenced for burglary. It was not until 1960 that he became a professional guitarist. He made his debut as a singer in his hometown, imitating his favourite country singers: Jimmy Rodgers, Bob Wills and Lefty Frizzell; in later years, he also gained recognition as a talented impersonator of Marty Robbins and Elvis Presley, among others. In 1963, he recorded his first album, Sing a Sad Song; he has only been known in the country music scene since 1965 and the release of the album (My Friends Are Gonna Be) Strangers. Haggard’s songs, rooted in the history and everyday life of the United States, have been highly acclaimed as a document of their time, much like the earlier works of Rodgers, Hank Williams and, in particular, Woody Guthrie, masters of country and folk music. In his songs, Haggard addresses important social issues (migrant workers, poor working conditions in They’re Tearin’ the Labour Camps Down), pays tribute to railway workers (My Love Affair with Trains), gospel music (A Land of Many Churches) and his masters (the album A Tribute to the Best Damn Fiddle Player in the World, dedicated to Wills, in 1971, and a similar one recorded in 1977 after Presley’s death). Haggard recorded most of his albums with his band, the Strangers (formed in 1964), some with his first wife, singer Bonnie Owens, and also in duets with Clint Eastwood (Bar Room Buddies, 1980), George Jones (Yesterday’s Wine, 1982), Willie Nelson (Pancho and Lefty, 1983) and Leona Williams. Haggard introduced three of his songs, considered standards, into the contemporary pop music repertoire: Okie From Muskogee (controversial because in 1970 it rejected the rebellious ideology of young Americans), The Fightin’ Side of Me and Today I Started Loving You Again (1973, over 400 performances). He also appeared in the films Killers Three (1968), From Nashville with Music (1973), Bronco Billy (1980) and the multi-episode television series Centennial. In Poland, he is known for the television version of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Haggard’s most famous hits include I’m a Lonesome Fugitive, Branded Man, Sing Me Back Home (1967), The Legend of Bonnie and Clyde, Mama Tried (1968), Hungry Eyes (1969), If We Make It Through December (1973), It’s All in the Movies (1976), That’s the Way Love Goes (1983), Twinkle, Twinkle Lucky Star (1987). Haggard had 38 of his recordings at the top of the country charts.
Literature: M. Haggard and P. Russell Sing Me Back Home (My Life), New York 1981 (autobiography).
