Merle Haggard dead: “Okie from Muskogee” star with 79 dead – SPIEGEL ONLINE

“We do not smoke marijuana in Muskogee / We do not take no trips on LSD / We do not burn no draft cards down on Main Street / We like livin ‘right, and bein’ free ‘: So begins probably the most famous song that Merle Haggard has ever sung -. “Okie from Muskogee”

It was published in 1969, in a country that was deeply divided over the Vietnam war, about the counterculture – a split that in today traces US society has produced. Merle Haggard hit on the side of the righteous, who took no drugs and their convening notices unburned, he scoffed at the hippies in San Francisco.

of 1937, Bakersfield, California born Haggard family came from Oklahoma to the west, so the “Okie” in song titles. he taught himself to play the guitar.

In his early years of the son was a railway worker repeatedly with the law in conflict and sat repeatedly in prison, including in the notorious prison of San Quentin. He was also in the audience, as the country star Johnny Cash had there in 1959 his legendary appearance.

Two years after his release from San Quentin landed Haggard in 1962 his first recording contract, but shortly afterwards began his rapid rise. As a result, he had more than three dozen number-one singles in the US country charts, including songs like “Mama Tried”, “Workin ‘Man Blues” or “Hungry Eyes” and sold millions of albums. Haggard, making it one of the most successful country music artists of all time. As a musician used Haggard’s image of the voice of the “common man”.

1994 Haggard was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Another great honor was added in 2010 when the Washington Kennedy Center awarded him the Lifetime Achievement award. With him at the time, among other ex-Beatle Paul McCartney and TV presenter Oprah Winfrey were excellent.

Like his son Ben Haggard announced on his Facebook page, the singer-songwriter died at his 79th birthday this Wednesday. His manager confirmed the death. According to the TV channel CBN Haggard died as a result of pneumonia at his home in Palo Cedro in Northern California.

colleagues in the Country scene responded to the death of the musician. “Merle was a pioneer, a real entertainer, a legend”, Carrie Underwood wrote on Twitter. There will never be another like him, added the country singer. Many other celebrities expressed their grief. Here is a selection.