Did You Know...

In 1937, following his parents' Depression-era move from the Oklahoma Dust Bowl, Merle was born in Bakersfield, California. The death of his father when Merle was nine years old seemed to trigger rebellion in the boy, and Merle spent time in juvenile detention centers and maximum security schools for wayward boys. Haggard struggled as a young man between the challenges he faced and his love of music. His first stage appearance was at a Lefty Frizzell concert where Lefty heard Merle's music and insisted he play a few songs before he went on. The fans loved him instantly.

Haggard's songwriting pulls from jazz, blues, folk and country. This healthy mix is what gives his music its timeless feel and legendary popularity. Merle was the first musician to emerge using the Bakersfield Sound, named after the town he was born in. By the 1970s Merle Haggard was playing what they called Outlaw Country, pouring his own experiences into songs about jail, the road, drinking, work, wandering and infidelity.

He has influenced countless other artists since he hit the scene in the '60s and his music has changed with the times. Songs like 'Mama Tried,' 'Branded Man,' 'Okie From Muskogee,' and 'Working Man Blues' are examples of Merle's sentimental and defiant nature. Buy tickets to a Merle Haggard concert so you can hear for yourself why he is the most celebrated and significant country artist of our time.