Merle Haggard Essentials

Editors’ Notes Merle Haggard earned his enduring reputation as one of country music's most distinctive singer/songwriters through songs about living hard and losing big, but he was also a key figure in the development of the Bakersfield Sound and its classic-country-meets-rock vibe. A longtime admirer and proponent of bandleader Bob Wills, Haggard also tackled Western swing with solid results.