Library Rock's Backpages

Merle Haggard Stands Tall

Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 29 March 2009

AS LONG AS people speak of country music, the music of Merle Haggard will live. As his career nears the half-century mark, Haggard's imprint is as deeply etched on the music as those of the spiritual forebears he so admires - Jimmie Rodgers, Hank Williams, Bob Wills, Lefty Frizzell - and he has lived out his Bakersfield childhood dreams beyond imagination. But right now, the country music immortal is feeling very mortal.

Total word count of piece: 2088

Subscribe

Becoming a member is easy. Membership gives you access to all the thousands of articles in the library.

Click here to go to Subscribe page.

Click here for academic and other group subscriptions.