Merle Ronald Haggard was a country music singer, songwriter, guitarist, and fiddler from the United States. Haggard was born near the end of the Great Depression in Oildale, California. Following Merle’s father’s death, his childhood was troubled, and he was incarcerated several times. Haggard managed to turn his life around after being released from San Quentin State Prison in 1960 and launch a successful country music career.
Haggard rose to prominence with songs about the working class that occasionally contained themes that ran counter to the anti-Vietnam War sentiments of some popular music at the time. Between the 1960s and the 1980s, he had 38 number-one hits on the country charts in the United States, with several of them also reaching the Billboard all-genre singles chart. Throughout the 2000s, Haggard continued to release successful albums.
What was the cause of death for Merle Haggard?
Merle Haggard died of pneumonia complications at his home in Palo Cedro, Shasta County, California.
