The Poet of the Common Man

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A few minutes ago I had a discussion up about today being Merle Haggard's 79th birthday. I had to remove it. Haggard died today. Born in California, Haggard's early songs about prisoners -- "Mama Tried" (with its chorus of "I turned 21 in prison doing life without parole"), "Sing Me Back Home," "I'm a Lonesome Fugitive," and "Branded Man" -- came from experience. Haggard was indeed a prisoner, incarcerated at San Quentin for attempted robbery and escape. On New Year's Day 1959 Johnny Cash did a show for the prisoners, inspiring Haggard to "go straight" and concentrate on music. In 1972 then-California governor Ronald Reagan issued Haggard a full and complete pardon. The pardon is on display at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville. Haggard had been struggling with recurring bouts of pneumonia in the past. He had double pneumonia in December that he later admitted to Rolling Stone "nearly killed me." After a couple of dates on the road in early March he was again forced to cancel for health reasons. Haggard was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters' Hall of Fame, the Country Music Hall of Fame, was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Grammy award. A sad and loving farewell to the man known as "the Poet of the Common Man," whose 79th birthday turned out to be his last day alive.