Merle Ronald Haggard was born April 6, 1937 in
Bakersfield, California on April 6, 1937.

One of the early innovators of the Bakersfield Sound in country
music, Merle visited the Country Hit Parade more than 100 times
starting with is first release in 1963, “Sing A Sad Song.”

In 1966, “The Fugitive” was the first of 30 chart toppers, but it
would not be his last as “Branded Man,” “Sing Me Back Home,”
“The Legend of Bonnie & Clyde,” “Mama Tried,” “Hungry Eyes,”
“Workin’ Man Blues,” “Okie From Muskogee,” “The Fightin’
Side of Me,” “Daddy Frank,” “Carolyn,” “Grandma Harp,”
“It’s Not Love,” “I Wonder if They Ever Think of Me,” “Everybody’s
Had The Blues,” “If We Make It Through December,” “Things
Aren’t Funny Anymore,” “Old Man From the Mountain,”
“Kentucky Gambler,” “Always Wanting You,” “Movin’ On,”
“It’s All In The Movies,” “The Roots of My Raising,”
“Cherokee Maiden,” “Bar Room Buddies,” “I Think I’ll Just Stay
Here and Drink,” “My Favorite Memory,” “Big City,” “Yesterday’s Wine,”
“Going Where The Lonely Go,” “You Take Me for Granted,” “Pancho
and Lefty,” “That’s the Way Love Goes,” “Someday When Things
Are Good,” “Let’s Chase Each Other Around The Room,”
“A Place To Fall Apart,” “Natural High and “Twinkle, Twinkle
Little Star” each reached the number one position.

Awarded three Grammy’s Merle Haggard was inducted
into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1994 and has received
more than a dozen tributes from the Academy of Country Music.