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Surely one of the greatest with his Bakersfield California sound and style with over 40 # 1 hits. As a performer
and a songwriter, Merle Haggard was the most important country artist to emerge in the 1960s. Haggard became one of the leading
figures of the Bakersfield country scene in the '60s. While his music remained hardcore country, he pushed the boundaries
of the music quite far. Like his idol Bob Wills, his music was a melting pot that drew from all forms of traditional American
music -- country, jazz, blues, and folk -- and in the process, developed a distinctive style of his own. As a performer, singer,
and musician, he was one of the best, influencing countless other artists. Not coincidentally, he was the best singer/songwriter
in country music since Hank Williams, writing a body of songs that became classics. Throughout his career, Haggard has been
a champion of the working man, largely due to his rough and tumble history. And a rought and tubble history it has been ,
with multiple run ins with the law and serving several sentances in prison. Merles personal live and professional life cannot
be seperated because they are one.Even when success eluded him, Haggards music remained some of the most consistently interesting
and inventive in country music. Not only have his recordings remained fresh, but each subsequent generation of country singers
show a great debt to his work. That fact stands as a testament to his great talent even more than his induction to the Country
Music Hall of Fame "Thats the way love goes babey" "Ponch and Lefty" "Okie From Miskogee" "Momma Tried" "Turned
21 in Prison" "Think Ill Just Stay Here and Drank" "Are the Good Times Really Over", that list can go on and on with
songs stuck in my head but no matter what, the all time great trademark song of Merle Haggard has got to be "Silver Wings".
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