Well, at least he made it through December.

Haggard's Final Victory? (new window)

Hard to play country music after cutting off your own hand.

CASEY KASEM'S AMERICAN TOP 40 - 1/19/74

40: A LOVE SONG - ANNE MURRAY
39: BABY COME CLOSE - SMOKEY ROBINSON
38: I LOVE - TOM T. HALL
37: AMERICAN TUNE - PAUL SIMON
36: MIDNIGHT RIDER - GREGG ALLMAN
35: JUST YOU AND ME - CHICAGO
34: MIND GAMES - JOHN LENNON
33: JOY, PART 1 - ISAAC HAYES
32: ROCK ON - DAVID ESSEX
31: ROCKIN' ROLL BABY - STYLISTICS
30: LET YOUR HAIR DOWN - THE TEMPTATIONS
29: PUT YOUR HANDS TOGETHER - THE O'JAYS
28: IF WE MAKE IT THROUGH DECEMBER - MERLE HAGGARD
27: IF YOU'RE READY, COME GO WITH ME - THE STAPLE SINGERS
26: HELLO IT'S ME - TODD RUNDGREN
25: TOP OF THE WORLD - THE CARPENTERS
24: SISTER MARY ELEPHANT - CHEECH & CHONG
23: GOODBYE YELLOW BRICK ROAD - ELTON JOHN
22: JUNGLE BOOGIE - KOOL & THE GANG
21: LEAVE ME ALONE (RUBY RED DRESS) - HELEN REDDY
20: WALK LIKE A MAN - GRAND FUNK RAILROAD
19: LIVIN' FOR YOU - AL GREEN
18: SPIDERS AND SNAKES - JIM STAFFORD
17: AMERICANS - BYRON MacGREGOR
16: THE MOST BEAUTIFUL GIRL - CHARLIE RICH
15: ME AND BABY BROTHER - WAR
14: WHEN I FALL IN LOVE - DONNY OSMOND
13: UNTIL YOU COME BACK TO ME (THAT'S WHAT I'M GONNA DO) - ARETHA FRANKLIN
12: HELEN WHEELS - PAUL McCARTNEY & WINGS
11: NEVER, NEVER GONNA GIVE YA UP - BARRY WHITE
10: LOVE'S THEME - LOVE UNLIMITED ORCHESTRA
9: LET ME BE THERE - OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN
8: LIVING FOR THE CITY - STEVIE WONDER
7: THE WAY WE WERE - BARBRA STREISAND
6: TIME IN A BOTTLE - JIM CROCE
5: YOU'RE SIXTEEN - RINGO STARR
4: I'VE GOT TO USE MY IMAGINATION - GLADYS KNIGHT & THE PIPS
3: SMOKIN' IN THE BOYS ROOM - BROWNSVILLE STATION
2: THE JOKER - THE STEVE MILLER BAND
1: SHOW AND TELL - AL WILSON

Lefty he can't sing the blues
All night long like he used to
The dust that Pancho bit down south
Ended up in Lefty's mouth
The day they laid poor Pancho low
Lefty split for Ohio
Where he got the bread to go
[Ah] There ain't nobody knows.

[Well] The poets tell how Pancho fell
Lefty's livin' in a cheap hotel
The desert's quiet and Cleveland's cold
So the story ends we're told
Pancho needs your prayers it's true,
But save a few for Lefty too
He just did what he had to do
[Ah] Now he's growin' old

Video, yo (new window).

I should drive to Paducah to see him. Bucket list to see Merle, running out of time.

Nina_Hartley's_Ass: CASEY KASEM'S AMERICAN TOP 40 - 1/19/74

40: A LOVE SONG - ANNE MURRAY
39: BABY COME CLOSE - SMOKEY ROBINSON
38: I LOVE - TOM T. HALL
37: AMERICAN TUNE - PAUL SIMON
36: MIDNIGHT RIDER - GREGG ALLMAN
35: JUST YOU AND ME - CHICAGO
34: MIND GAMES - JOHN LENNON
33: JOY, PART 1 - ISAAC HAYES
32: ROCK ON - DAVID ESSEX
31: ROCKIN' ROLL BABY - STYLISTICS
30: LET YOUR HAIR DOWN - THE TEMPTATIONS
29: PUT YOUR HANDS TOGETHER - THE O'JAYS
28: IF WE MAKE IT THROUGH DECEMBER - MERLE HAGGARD
27: IF YOU'RE READY, COME GO WITH ME - THE STAPLE SINGERS
26: HELLO IT'S ME - TODD RUNDGREN
25: TOP OF THE WORLD - THE CARPENTERS
24: SISTER MARY ELEPHANT - CHEECH & CHONG
23: GOODBYE YELLOW BRICK ROAD - ELTON JOHN
22: JUNGLE BOOGIE - KOOL & THE GANG
21: LEAVE ME ALONE (RUBY RED DRESS) - HELEN REDDY
20: WALK LIKE A MAN - GRAND FUNK RAILROAD
19: LIVIN' FOR YOU - AL GREEN
18: SPIDERS AND SNAKES - JIM STAFFORD
17: AMERICANS - BYRON MacGREGOR
16: THE MOST BEAUTIFUL GIRL - CHARLIE RICH
15: ME AND BABY BROTHER - WAR
14: WHEN I FALL IN LOVE - DONNY OSMOND
13: UNTIL YOU COME BACK TO ME (THAT'S WHAT I'M GONNA DO) - ARETHA FRANKLIN
12: HELEN WHEELS - PAUL McCARTNEY & WINGS
11: NEVER, NEVER GONNA GIVE YA UP - BARRY WHITE
10: LOVE'S THEME - LOVE UNLIMITED ORCHESTRA
9: LET ME BE THERE - OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN
8: LIVING FOR THE CITY - STEVIE WONDER
7: THE WAY WE WERE - BARBRA STREISAND
6: TIME IN A BOTTLE - JIM CROCE
5: YOU'RE SIXTEEN - RINGO STARR
4: I'VE GOT TO USE MY IMAGINATION - GLADYS KNIGHT & THE PIPS
3: SMOKIN' IN THE BOYS ROOM - BROWNSVILLE STATION
2: THE JOKER - THE STEVE MILLER BAND
1: SHOW AND TELL - AL WILSON

1974?!?!?!? This list makes me feel old

I was lonelier than Kunta Kinte at a Merle Haggard concert...

I am actually shocked merle haggard made it this long, same with George jones, figured both would be dead long before their 70s.

Get well soon merle, we still have to arrange that concert between merle, George, hank II, and Hank III.

The last song I heard on my iPod on the way to work today was "Sing Me Back Home"

FriarReb98: Get well, Hag.

yep. lotta respect for the guy. saw him about 2 years ago...not really into a country music, but dang...the guy's a legend.

I don't think this guy would have a problem being felt up by Merle.

thismomentinblackhistory: HotIgneous Intruder: The desert's quiet and Cleveland's cold

That was the first thing I thought of when I read that headline. What a great farking song. Gets me every time.

Then you should hear it sung by the man who wrote it
Link (new window)

Merle is as close as country music can get to a renaissance man. The first to let his blues and jazz influences shine through.
Link (I think I'll just Stay Here and Drink)
Link (MIsery And Gin)

Best Merle tibute
Link (new window)

Relevant: Merle Haggard tour dates (new window)

May try to catch him at Belterra in April.

Crewmannumber6: thismomentinblackhistory: HotIgneous Intruder: The desert's quiet and Cleveland's cold

That was the first thing I thought of when I read that headline. What a great farking song. Gets me every time.

Then you should hear it sung by the man who wrote it
Link (new window)

Yeah, this. Although it's a decent cover, I always cringe a little when people reference Haggard and Nelson first when talking about that song.

Pamela Des Barres play by plays of her flings with Merle made me want to fark him.

schubie: Pamela Des Barres play by plays of her flings with Merle made me want to fark him.

There is still time. Have at it.

/then report back here

Saw him in Fresno last October. He had the flu then too. I don't think he has long left. God bless him, he is an original.

Man. I hate country music as a rule, but even I love Merle Haggard. Sad news.

Hope he get's a big bowl of Rainbow Stew...