MERLE HAGGARD

Merle Haggard was a legendary country western music singer and songwriter from the 1950s to the 2010s. Haggard was playing music before being jailed for robbery in the 1957, but after seeing a prison performance by Johnny Cash in 1958 at San Quentin, decided to join the prison's country music band. After release from prison he started performing again, and his first national hit was in 1964. Some of his hits include: Sing a Sad Song, Okie from Muskogee, If We Make It Through December, and Bar Room Buddies. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. He passed away in 2016 at the age of 79.