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The Hag: The Life, Times, and Music of Merle Haggard
The definitive biography of country legend Merle Haggard by the New York Times bestselling biographer of Clint Eastwood, Cary Grant, The Eagles, and more. Merle Haggard was one of the most important country music musicians who ever lived. His astonishing musical career stretched across the second half of the 20th Century and into the first two decades of the next, during which he released an extraordinary 63 albums, 38 that made it on to Billboard's Country Top Ten, 13 that went to #1, and 37 #1 hit singles. With his ample songbook, unique singing voice and brilliant phrasing that illuminated his uncompromising commitment to individual freedom, cut with the monkey of personal despair on his back and a chip the size of Monument Valley on his shoulder, Merle's music and his extraordinary charisma helped change the look, the sound, and the fury of American music.
The Hag tells, without compromise, the extraordinary life of Merle Haggard, augmented by deep secondary research, sharp detail and ample anecdotal material that biographer Marc Eliot is known for, and enriched and deepened by over 100 new and far-ranging interviews. It explores the uniquely American life of an angry rebellious boy from the wrong side of the tracks bound for a life of crime and a permanent home in a penitentiary, who found redemption through the music of "the common man."
Merle Haggard's story is a great American saga of a man who lifted himself out of poverty, oppression, loss and wanderlust, to catapult himself into the pantheon of American artists admired around the world. Eliot has interviewed more than 100 people who knew Haggard, worked with him, were influenced by him, loved him or hated him. The book celebrates the accomplishments and explore the singer's infamous dark the self-created turmoil that expressed itself through drugs, women, booze, and betrayal. The Hag offers a richly anecdotal narrative that will elevate the life and work of Merle Haggard to where both properly belong, in the pantheon of American music and letters.
The Hag is the definitive account of this unique American original, and will speak to readers of country music and rock biographies alike.
The Hag tells, without compromise, the extraordinary life of Merle Haggard, augmented by deep secondary research, sharp detail and ample anecdotal material that biographer Marc Eliot is known for, and enriched and deepened by over 100 new and far-ranging interviews. It explores the uniquely American life of an angry rebellious boy from the wrong side of the tracks bound for a life of crime and a permanent home in a penitentiary, who found redemption through the music of "the common man."
Merle Haggard's story is a great American saga of a man who lifted himself out of poverty, oppression, loss and wanderlust, to catapult himself into the pantheon of American artists admired around the world. Eliot has interviewed more than 100 people who knew Haggard, worked with him, were influenced by him, loved him or hated him. The book celebrates the accomplishments and explore the singer's infamous dark the self-created turmoil that expressed itself through drugs, women, booze, and betrayal. The Hag offers a richly anecdotal narrative that will elevate the life and work of Merle Haggard to where both properly belong, in the pantheon of American music and letters.
The Hag is the definitive account of this unique American original, and will speak to readers of country music and rock biographies alike.
464 pages, Hardcover
First published January 18, 2022
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1722 people want to read
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February 1, 2022
The Hag: The Life, Times and Music of Merle Haggard by Marc Elliot is a 2022 Hachette publication.
Marc Elliot did a fabulous job with this biography. Merle Haggard is legendary, one of the most influential artists in country music. Over the years, though, even Merle tended to embellish or downplay events, had memory lapses, or selective memory about times, places, people etc.
Elliot sticks to the facts, keeps his nose out of the area of opinion, and presents the story of Merle Haggard as it was, warts and all. A biographer’s job isn’t to praise or criticize and Elliot pulls that off with aplomb by writing a very detailed, profile of Merle Haggard. I am very impressed with the presentation, the approach, and the obvious research Elliot put into this book and the respect he had for his subject.
When I came across this book, I paused, not because I was a huge fan, but because seeing Merle’s picture on the cover brought back some nostalgic childhood memories of my parents who were fans of country music. I thought about what songs of his I might remember and was surprised by how much I could recall. I also stopped to consider what I knew about Merle Haggard, from a personal standpoint, which, other than his infamous prison stint, wasn’t much. Out of curiosity I added it to my list and got a lot more than I had bargained for.
For a good while there I’d made up my mind that I didn’t really like Merle Haggard. He did some awful things, and I’m not talking about his teenage crime sprees. As I continued to read, I was trying to formulate in my mind how to write a review for an incredibly well-written bio of a person I now thought of as a right bastard.
By the end of the book, though, as the author got to the latter stages of Haggard’s life, the awards and honors bestowed on him, I had to agree that yes, he had come from nothing, had been shaken by a prison stint, and music gave him a chance to make something of his life. He had gone on to perform for presidents, and even be honored by them, and will go down in history as one of the most influential country music artists in history. In short, a legend.
Hag did live a hard life, his relationships were never pretty, and he had a penchant for self-sabotage. He didn’t treat his wives well, wasn’t a great parent, had issues with substances, finances, and ups and downs in his career. But his later years, he seemed to have redeemed himself and was more popular than ever when his health begin to fail him.
Overall, this is a fascinating read. The author did a very impressive job with the book and though, Haggard’s personal life was tumultuous, and his career took many turns, there is no denying his songwriting ability, and his musical talent, or the impact he had on many artists.
He was one of the main contributors to the Bakersville sound and deserved all the accolades for his many achievements. At the end of the day, I must admit, somewhat grudgingly, that before I turned that last page, I had come to admire ‘The Hag’, at least from a professional standpoint. He certainly led a full, colorful life and this author certainly did him justice.
5 stars
Marc Elliot did a fabulous job with this biography. Merle Haggard is legendary, one of the most influential artists in country music. Over the years, though, even Merle tended to embellish or downplay events, had memory lapses, or selective memory about times, places, people etc.
Elliot sticks to the facts, keeps his nose out of the area of opinion, and presents the story of Merle Haggard as it was, warts and all. A biographer’s job isn’t to praise or criticize and Elliot pulls that off with aplomb by writing a very detailed, profile of Merle Haggard. I am very impressed with the presentation, the approach, and the obvious research Elliot put into this book and the respect he had for his subject.
When I came across this book, I paused, not because I was a huge fan, but because seeing Merle’s picture on the cover brought back some nostalgic childhood memories of my parents who were fans of country music. I thought about what songs of his I might remember and was surprised by how much I could recall. I also stopped to consider what I knew about Merle Haggard, from a personal standpoint, which, other than his infamous prison stint, wasn’t much. Out of curiosity I added it to my list and got a lot more than I had bargained for.
For a good while there I’d made up my mind that I didn’t really like Merle Haggard. He did some awful things, and I’m not talking about his teenage crime sprees. As I continued to read, I was trying to formulate in my mind how to write a review for an incredibly well-written bio of a person I now thought of as a right bastard.
By the end of the book, though, as the author got to the latter stages of Haggard’s life, the awards and honors bestowed on him, I had to agree that yes, he had come from nothing, had been shaken by a prison stint, and music gave him a chance to make something of his life. He had gone on to perform for presidents, and even be honored by them, and will go down in history as one of the most influential country music artists in history. In short, a legend.
Hag did live a hard life, his relationships were never pretty, and he had a penchant for self-sabotage. He didn’t treat his wives well, wasn’t a great parent, had issues with substances, finances, and ups and downs in his career. But his later years, he seemed to have redeemed himself and was more popular than ever when his health begin to fail him.
Overall, this is a fascinating read. The author did a very impressive job with the book and though, Haggard’s personal life was tumultuous, and his career took many turns, there is no denying his songwriting ability, and his musical talent, or the impact he had on many artists.
He was one of the main contributors to the Bakersville sound and deserved all the accolades for his many achievements. At the end of the day, I must admit, somewhat grudgingly, that before I turned that last page, I had come to admire ‘The Hag’, at least from a professional standpoint. He certainly led a full, colorful life and this author certainly did him justice.
5 stars
March 11, 2022
4.5 stars
"What redeemed [Merle Haggard] were his talents as a singer and songwriter. His lyrics clearly show that he was an America poet of the first rank, an original voice in the twentieth century, his melodies deceptively simple . . . until you try to sing them." -- from the author's introduction
Author Eliot's stock-in-trade is the pop culture / show-biz bio (John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, Paul Simon, James Brown, Bruce Springsteen et al. . . . although he has penned 20+ by now) so I get the feeling that cranking out these tomes is practically second-nature to him. Yet that sort of sounds vaguely insulting, so let me clarify that Eliot does really good and dependable work. His latest book focuses on one of the godfathers of the 'Bakersfield Sound' - that simple but melodiously twangy working-class country music genre which sprung to life in central California of the 1950's and 60's - with The Hag. As I'm often extremely selective about listening to country music, I like to 'travel back' about 50 years or so ago and two of my favorites are Johnny Cash and Buck Owens. As of late Haggard has been added to that short list, and that's likely because he's a pretty easy fit with those aforementioned men YET he has his own unique sound, style and songs. Eliot's bio on Haggard seems thorough, and wisely / easily switches between discussing the man's storied and occasionally depressing life - a parent's early death, a life-changing stint in the notorious San Quentin Prison, the multiple ex-wives, substance abuse and health issues - and his now-classic blue-collar tinged musical output like 'The Bottle Let Me Down,' 'Workin' Man Blues' and (my personal fav) 'Fightin' Side of Me.' Haggard was no saint, but the man spoke his mind and left a legacy of some great music.
"What redeemed [Merle Haggard] were his talents as a singer and songwriter. His lyrics clearly show that he was an America poet of the first rank, an original voice in the twentieth century, his melodies deceptively simple . . . until you try to sing them." -- from the author's introduction
Author Eliot's stock-in-trade is the pop culture / show-biz bio (John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, Paul Simon, James Brown, Bruce Springsteen et al. . . . although he has penned 20+ by now) so I get the feeling that cranking out these tomes is practically second-nature to him. Yet that sort of sounds vaguely insulting, so let me clarify that Eliot does really good and dependable work. His latest book focuses on one of the godfathers of the 'Bakersfield Sound' - that simple but melodiously twangy working-class country music genre which sprung to life in central California of the 1950's and 60's - with The Hag. As I'm often extremely selective about listening to country music, I like to 'travel back' about 50 years or so ago and two of my favorites are Johnny Cash and Buck Owens. As of late Haggard has been added to that short list, and that's likely because he's a pretty easy fit with those aforementioned men YET he has his own unique sound, style and songs. Eliot's bio on Haggard seems thorough, and wisely / easily switches between discussing the man's storied and occasionally depressing life - a parent's early death, a life-changing stint in the notorious San Quentin Prison, the multiple ex-wives, substance abuse and health issues - and his now-classic blue-collar tinged musical output like 'The Bottle Let Me Down,' 'Workin' Man Blues' and (my personal fav) 'Fightin' Side of Me.' Haggard was no saint, but the man spoke his mind and left a legacy of some great music.
February 9, 2022
Just finished "The Hag" by Marc Eliot. The bulk of the book, it's information about Merle, is apparently well researched and appears to be accurate.
However, I almost put the book down several times before finishing due to the errors about other musicians, errors that seemingly popped up every few pages. If you can dismiss those careless mistakes the book might be OK for you. Here, to illustrate my point is a sampling of those errors:
1."Singing Brakeman" is identified not as Jimmie Rodgers' nIckname but as one of his big hits
2.Buddy Holly's group is referred to, not as The Crickets but as The Critics
3.Elvis, Roy Orbison, and other Rock and Roll artists are called Country Music stars
4.It is written that Linda Ronstadt left Capitol Records for Atlantic. In fact, she left for Asylum
5.The book stated that by 1981 it was getting harder for Merle to compete because it was the Garth Brooks era of Country. Garth's first album did not come out until 1989
6.The author accurately describes Haggard's purshase of Lefty Frizzell's famous guitar but implies confusion as to why Merle chose "Johnny Cash's Long Black Veil" as the first song he played on it. My God, it would have literally taken seconds to search and find that Lefty had the original hit with this several years before Cash released it as an album cut.
7. Speaking of Cash, the author writes that he died just one month after June Carter Cash. It was actually four months after. Again, just a few seconds long internet search could have avoided this error.
There were other errors, all careless and easily avoidable. These errors, at least to me, are unforgivable in a major work. But if they don't bother you, then you might find the book a decent read.
However, I almost put the book down several times before finishing due to the errors about other musicians, errors that seemingly popped up every few pages. If you can dismiss those careless mistakes the book might be OK for you. Here, to illustrate my point is a sampling of those errors:
1."Singing Brakeman" is identified not as Jimmie Rodgers' nIckname but as one of his big hits
2.Buddy Holly's group is referred to, not as The Crickets but as The Critics
3.Elvis, Roy Orbison, and other Rock and Roll artists are called Country Music stars
4.It is written that Linda Ronstadt left Capitol Records for Atlantic. In fact, she left for Asylum
5.The book stated that by 1981 it was getting harder for Merle to compete because it was the Garth Brooks era of Country. Garth's first album did not come out until 1989
6.The author accurately describes Haggard's purshase of Lefty Frizzell's famous guitar but implies confusion as to why Merle chose "Johnny Cash's Long Black Veil" as the first song he played on it. My God, it would have literally taken seconds to search and find that Lefty had the original hit with this several years before Cash released it as an album cut.
7. Speaking of Cash, the author writes that he died just one month after June Carter Cash. It was actually four months after. Again, just a few seconds long internet search could have avoided this error.
There were other errors, all careless and easily avoidable. These errors, at least to me, are unforgivable in a major work. But if they don't bother you, then you might find the book a decent read.
January 15, 2022
The Hag by Marc Eliot is the biography of country legend Merle Haggard.
First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Hachette Books, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
My Synopsis:
Jim and Flossie Haggard had a rough start to their marriage, but they persevered. Blessed with a 16 year old son James "Lowell", and an 18 year old daughter Lillian, they were surprised to find another child on the way.
Merle Ronald Haggard was born April 6th, 1937 in Bakersfield, California. He grew up in a converted refrigerated boxcar that his father had designed and built, right next to the train tracks. From infancy, he loved music, and as soon as he could, he loved riding the rails.
Merle did not had an easy life, but most of it was his own fault. His father died when he was only nine, and from that moment on, he became an angry young man, who for some unknown reason, blamed himself for his father's stroke. His already lackadaisical attendance at school was now almost non-existent, and truancy would be one of the first things he was charged with. When he was 20, he was sent to San Quentin Prison. He had been arrested seventeen times for a series of petty crimes, sent to reform schools and jails, and often escaping from them. This time, he was going away for a while. Although unfair, the judge was making an example of him. He spent almost 3 years in San Quentin. From then on, Merle considered himself a jailbird, and always watched his back. He never completely trusted anyone again. However, that time in prison taught Merle that he didn't want to go back.
His love life was a bit of a disaster, as he was a womanizer from start to finish. He was married 5 times, but his true love was his second wife, Bonnie (Buck Owen's ex).
Merle was also not much of a businessman, often giving away the rights to some of his songs just because he got a line or two from someone. Eventually, his lack of business sense, his drug use, his unbridled spending, his divorces, and his unbending wish to remain "classic" country, would be his undoing.
He played on everything from HeeHaw, to Carnegie Hall and the White House for President Nixon. and toured with Bob Dylan. His strong ideas about what country music should sound like left no room for many others. At one time he wanted to be a cross-over artist, but he didn't seem to like rock, rock-a-billy, or any derivative. He mellowed with age.
Merle Haggard died on his birthday, April 6, 2016. He was 79 years old.
My Opinions:
While this book has a phenomenal amount of information on Merle Haggard, I also learned things about his relationships with Lefty Frizzell, Buck Owens (and Bonnie), Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, and others. There was also quite a bit of information about Merle's family, and members of his band.
I liked discovering where the words to his songs originated, some of which he wrote, and some written by others.
I guess the only thing that I didn't like was the fact that the book seemed so long. Don't get me wrong, most of it was really entertaining and a fast read, but there were parts that just dragged. Those were usually parts that involved band members, or foot-notes, or other stars that intersected with Merle (at some point). Just too much irrelevant information. However, I liked the Appendixes in the back of the book.
Marc Eliot did a lot of research into Haggard's life, but also into what was happening around him at the time. He interviewed over 100 people who knew the man, and so we, the reader came to know both the dark side, and the better side of Merle Haggard. He was a man who pulled himself up and out of poverty, but delved into drugs, and booze, and women. He was a gifted musician, singer, song-writer, and a loyal friend.
Merle Haggard is a legend. His music career stretched across decades of both centuries. He released 63 albums, and had 37 singles that hit Number 1 on the charts. He recorded over 600 songs, 250 of which he wrote. His ability to impersonate other musical legends helped him to create his own style, taking a little from each. His song-writing came from the heart.
I may not have liked some of his actions, but Merle Haggard's music endears him to me. My favorite songs....the controversial Okie from Muskogee, Mama Tried, Hungry Eyes, Branded Man and Sing Me Back Home. OMG, I can barely stop there...
For a more complete review of this book and others (including the reason I chose to read/review this book, author information and a favorite quotation or two from the book), please visit my blog: http://katlovesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
May 5, 2022
I read this book a while ago and thought I knew some parts of his life it was interesting to find out more. I do live in Bakersfield so many years ago when I moved here some of the older people would tell me stories of Haggard and Owens and how there were two separate places to see each of them. Where Haggard grew up was rough and poor heck some of the areas are still that way. So him getting in trouble I guess was expected he at least was able to listen to older men and change before he could not.
The author goes into his life of marriages and also being on the road when his children were young. You get an honest look at how he wasn’t faithful and how he allowed alcohol and drugs into his world. Even with all of the records he sold and songs he wrote he still seemed like it was not enough.
You get an honest look at his life which is good and you also get to see just how many songs he wrote himself as well. He still gave back to Bakersfield when he got older so maybe he tried to make peace with the past who knows. Overall a good book and worth the read. I received this book from Netglley.com
The author goes into his life of marriages and also being on the road when his children were young. You get an honest look at how he wasn’t faithful and how he allowed alcohol and drugs into his world. Even with all of the records he sold and songs he wrote he still seemed like it was not enough.
You get an honest look at his life which is good and you also get to see just how many songs he wrote himself as well. He still gave back to Bakersfield when he got older so maybe he tried to make peace with the past who knows. Overall a good book and worth the read. I received this book from Netglley.com
March 6, 2022
A very disappointing biography of Merle Haggard that falls short on pretty much every level, from the writing style to basic fact checking. The book begins inauspiciously with some misguided, unpersuasive pseudo-Freudian psychological analysis, and frequently returns to this type of sophomoric analysis throughout. The author also makes a truly embarrassing number of mistakes, such as referring to Buddy Holly's backing band as "The Critics," and getting lots of other musical details wrong, like song titles and songwriting credits.
The only things that makes the book worthwhile are the fairly extensive quotations from some of Merle's close associates (although the book relies on insights from the same few people) and a retelling of some interesting stories from Merle's later career, for example, the tour he did with Bob Dylan in 2005.
Merle deserves much better, and while it's not a standard biography, David Cantwell's "The Running Kind" remains the best book on Merle Haggard (with an expanded edition being published in May 2022). Both of Merle's autobiographies are also well worth reading, although they overlap quite a bit.
The only things that makes the book worthwhile are the fairly extensive quotations from some of Merle's close associates (although the book relies on insights from the same few people) and a retelling of some interesting stories from Merle's later career, for example, the tour he did with Bob Dylan in 2005.
Merle deserves much better, and while it's not a standard biography, David Cantwell's "The Running Kind" remains the best book on Merle Haggard (with an expanded edition being published in May 2022). Both of Merle's autobiographies are also well worth reading, although they overlap quite a bit.
November 16, 2022
So Merle deserves this compelling telling of his life, which I could not put down. The author, Marc Eliot, was the first biographer of the late singer-songwriter Phil Ochs, and I devoured that book Death of a Rebel: A Biography of Phil OchsDeath of a Rebel: A Biography of Phil Ochs in 1983 and haven't read one of Eliot's prolific works since. He begins and ends with quotations including Ochs [and Merle, "Who the hell is Phil Ochs?"], and begins his Acknowledgements with Ochs playing Eliot some Merle records with appreciation.
Throughout, the book is well sourced with interviews and a reasonable approach to the literature on Haggard, if not the scholarship on country music beyond the Dayton Duncan/Ken Burns film and book. For instance, none of Bill Malone's writing is cited, like Don't Get Above Your Raisin': Country Music and the Southern Working Class or the seminal Country Music USA: 50th Anniversary Edition; but that's ok, balanced by, amongst other things, the author having written together with Roy Clark and about The Eagles before. Eliot is able to generate a degree of trust from the best talkers in Haggard's circle, if not the last wife, and describes show business well. He inveighs against Bob Dylan, which one can understand given this context, but it's an example of contention in a contentious career. Also, perhaps, a holdover from his great friend, the great Phil Ochs. [Check [book:Songs of Phil Ochs|3264743]]
I always meant to read Merle's two memoirs, and Eliot effectively compares them in his narrative, making Merle's early life, the trouble and the prison sentence, and, later, the pardon by Ronald Reagan, a compelling life story.
The genius of Haggard Eliot ineffectively compares to Robert Frost and American poetry because he lacks an additional perspective on twentieth-century poets. That's ok too, though it leads to some hyperbole. Haggard's voice, undeniably great, is served well by this. I appreciated Eliot's citation of David Cantwell's earlier work - of music criticism more than a biography - and I'm eager to read any updates in Cantwell's second, revised edition The Running Kind: Listening to Merle Haggard.
And so, now, I want to listen more to Merle, again, and more often. Also, an old favorite, Pure Prairie League, "I'll Change Your Flat Tire, Merle." I also want to listen more closely for the singing of his second wife, the late Bonnie Owens. I recommend The Hag highly, for fans of Merle and American music, not just country and western, but great songwriting and expanding the Great American Songbook. It'll stand, though we are bound to have revisions and reinterpretations; maybe even a few choice corrections in a later edition, with additional work, with additional information.
Thanks to Fulton County Public Library for the loan.
Throughout, the book is well sourced with interviews and a reasonable approach to the literature on Haggard, if not the scholarship on country music beyond the Dayton Duncan/Ken Burns film and book. For instance, none of Bill Malone's writing is cited, like Don't Get Above Your Raisin': Country Music and the Southern Working Class or the seminal Country Music USA: 50th Anniversary Edition; but that's ok, balanced by, amongst other things, the author having written together with Roy Clark and about The Eagles before. Eliot is able to generate a degree of trust from the best talkers in Haggard's circle, if not the last wife, and describes show business well. He inveighs against Bob Dylan, which one can understand given this context, but it's an example of contention in a contentious career. Also, perhaps, a holdover from his great friend, the great Phil Ochs. [Check [book:Songs of Phil Ochs|3264743]]
I always meant to read Merle's two memoirs, and Eliot effectively compares them in his narrative, making Merle's early life, the trouble and the prison sentence, and, later, the pardon by Ronald Reagan, a compelling life story.
The genius of Haggard Eliot ineffectively compares to Robert Frost and American poetry because he lacks an additional perspective on twentieth-century poets. That's ok too, though it leads to some hyperbole. Haggard's voice, undeniably great, is served well by this. I appreciated Eliot's citation of David Cantwell's earlier work - of music criticism more than a biography - and I'm eager to read any updates in Cantwell's second, revised edition The Running Kind: Listening to Merle Haggard.
And so, now, I want to listen more to Merle, again, and more often. Also, an old favorite, Pure Prairie League, "I'll Change Your Flat Tire, Merle." I also want to listen more closely for the singing of his second wife, the late Bonnie Owens. I recommend The Hag highly, for fans of Merle and American music, not just country and western, but great songwriting and expanding the Great American Songbook. It'll stand, though we are bound to have revisions and reinterpretations; maybe even a few choice corrections in a later edition, with additional work, with additional information.
Thanks to Fulton County Public Library for the loan.
January 16, 2024
As a long-time Merle Haggard fan, I knew I would enjoy this book. I have read a few Marc Eliot biographies and he is a great writer and researcher. There were a few editing issues that distracted me, but overall I liked it a lot. As it turns out, Muskogee may have been the only place the Okie wouldn’t smoke marijuana. Regarding his late in life health challenges, “there was nothing wrong with him a good steak, a glass of beer, and a joint couldn’t fix, and you could leave out the steak and beer.”
March 6, 2022
The iconic singer/songwriter/guitar and fiddle player Merle Haggard put out a staggering body of work: 63 albums (38 of which made it onto Billboard's Country Top Ten), 13 went to #1, and he had 37 hit singles that went to #1. Among the best known songs were such classic tracks as: Mama Tried, The Fightin' Side Of Me, Workin' Man Blues, Sing Me Back Home, The Bottle Let Me Down, Today I Started Loving You Again, If We Make It Through December, Big City, Holding Things Together, I'll Break Out Again Tonight, Okie From Muskogee, and Silver Wings. From being a wild kid who wound up in San Quentin prison at 19 he turned his life around after seeing Johnny Cash perform at the prison to being an international star who met presidents as was honoured at Lincoln Center. Marc Eliot tells his tempestuous story with all its contradictions in this well researched biography which had input from his friends, family, and fellow musicians. The big story of a gigantic figure. - BH.
October 19, 2021
I received an ARC of “ The Hag” from the publisher through Net Galley. My thanks to both for the pleasure of reading the book.
I have read Marc Elliot’s biography “ “The Hag” and enjoyed the story of a country music great. It is, of course, about the country music icon Merle Haggard. I knew a bit of Haggard’s music and very little of his personal life , but y the final page of this book, I was fully informed about both. Of course I had heard him sing on the radio and on the recent PBS Ken Burns special about country music, which is what prompted me to want to read this Biography.
Writing with a clear style, tells the story of a hard-scrabble family who lived through the hard times of the Depression, one of the families of “Okies” who rolled west to California to start over . Despite the efforts of a father who worked at any job he could get around the oil fields of Bakersfield, and a loving pious mother, Flossie, who raised him to be honest and hard working, Haggard was a wild child. He hated school and played hooky so much that truant officers knew him intimately. What he did learn was how to steal. Between shoplifting and smash and grab thieving , young Merle spent considerable time in jails, from which he usually walked away from as soon as he could, grabbing a ride on freight cars until things cooled off and he could return home to his long-suffering, loving mother.The thingsMerle did like as he grew up were girls, drinking, partying and playing guitar.
His wildness eventually earned him being branded as incorrigible and time in “ State Schools” I.e. , reformatories. Eventually, a botched gas station smash and grab,and a car theft, earned him a term in San Quentin. It was a seminal event in his life, second only with the first time he played music .
Often moving, sometimes shocking , the author tells of Haggard’s rise to country music stardom as Merle goes from playing with pick - up bands in honky- tonks around his hometown, to fan-filled auditoriums . It’s a tale of boozy nights and long bus trips, the camaraderie of his band, of easy women and Haggard’s growing fame the foremost interpreter of country music. It is also a tale of his five wives. Merle loved women, especially those with “ big tops and big bottoms” Having a wife and kids at home did not slow him slipping off to enjoy truck stop dames. As the author writes, “For him, marriage signaled the end of something rather than the beginning”. He married women he lusted for who ignited and returned his passions. His second wife, Bonnie Owens ex-wife of Buck Owens joined Haggard’s entourage, easily fitting in with her good voice. Although they loved one another, he needed her for more than her musical talent, a fact he did not realize until the day she could no longer stand his cheating and divorced him. Only then did he realize how much he missed her in his life. Bonnie performed with Merle and his band even after the divorce; she never stopped loving him until her death. He never stopped loving her even after. It is quite a love story.
Mr. Elliot’s biography of a man absorbed in and devoted to his music,of the demons he fought as he rose to prominence is compelling reading. Yes, there is a bit of “and then he wrote” detail,as well as tales of all the musicians and notables Haggard met as he went form beer halls to Lincoln Center. Haggard’s climb to stardom. His faults , fears and falls are detailed. He made a lot of money and spent it freely. Was taken by promoters and never turned his back on a friend. But he never lost his musical focus- real country music played with feeling and love.
Notes: an addendum lists his record and albums. Since this was an advanced copy, photographs were not included, but indicated that the final editions would have pictures.
Recommended for Merle Haggard fans and for those who enjoy bios of prominent entertainers.
I have read Marc Elliot’s biography “ “The Hag” and enjoyed the story of a country music great. It is, of course, about the country music icon Merle Haggard. I knew a bit of Haggard’s music and very little of his personal life , but y the final page of this book, I was fully informed about both. Of course I had heard him sing on the radio and on the recent PBS Ken Burns special about country music, which is what prompted me to want to read this Biography.
Writing with a clear style, tells the story of a hard-scrabble family who lived through the hard times of the Depression, one of the families of “Okies” who rolled west to California to start over . Despite the efforts of a father who worked at any job he could get around the oil fields of Bakersfield, and a loving pious mother, Flossie, who raised him to be honest and hard working, Haggard was a wild child. He hated school and played hooky so much that truant officers knew him intimately. What he did learn was how to steal. Between shoplifting and smash and grab thieving , young Merle spent considerable time in jails, from which he usually walked away from as soon as he could, grabbing a ride on freight cars until things cooled off and he could return home to his long-suffering, loving mother.The thingsMerle did like as he grew up were girls, drinking, partying and playing guitar.
His wildness eventually earned him being branded as incorrigible and time in “ State Schools” I.e. , reformatories. Eventually, a botched gas station smash and grab,and a car theft, earned him a term in San Quentin. It was a seminal event in his life, second only with the first time he played music .
Often moving, sometimes shocking , the author tells of Haggard’s rise to country music stardom as Merle goes from playing with pick - up bands in honky- tonks around his hometown, to fan-filled auditoriums . It’s a tale of boozy nights and long bus trips, the camaraderie of his band, of easy women and Haggard’s growing fame the foremost interpreter of country music. It is also a tale of his five wives. Merle loved women, especially those with “ big tops and big bottoms” Having a wife and kids at home did not slow him slipping off to enjoy truck stop dames. As the author writes, “For him, marriage signaled the end of something rather than the beginning”. He married women he lusted for who ignited and returned his passions. His second wife, Bonnie Owens ex-wife of Buck Owens joined Haggard’s entourage, easily fitting in with her good voice. Although they loved one another, he needed her for more than her musical talent, a fact he did not realize until the day she could no longer stand his cheating and divorced him. Only then did he realize how much he missed her in his life. Bonnie performed with Merle and his band even after the divorce; she never stopped loving him until her death. He never stopped loving her even after. It is quite a love story.
Mr. Elliot’s biography of a man absorbed in and devoted to his music,of the demons he fought as he rose to prominence is compelling reading. Yes, there is a bit of “and then he wrote” detail,as well as tales of all the musicians and notables Haggard met as he went form beer halls to Lincoln Center. Haggard’s climb to stardom. His faults , fears and falls are detailed. He made a lot of money and spent it freely. Was taken by promoters and never turned his back on a friend. But he never lost his musical focus- real country music played with feeling and love.
Notes: an addendum lists his record and albums. Since this was an advanced copy, photographs were not included, but indicated that the final editions would have pictures.
Recommended for Merle Haggard fans and for those who enjoy bios of prominent entertainers.
February 18, 2022
When Van Halen requested “no brown M&Ms" on their backstage rider, it wasn't a joke or entitlement. They also had very specific requests on their TECH RIDER concerning sound reinforcement, stage lighting rig safety, etc. So brown M&Ms in the dressing room meant send the road manager to check on their other, more pressing technical needs that might also have been neglected or FUBAR-ed.
Similarly, every time author (and Eagles superfan) Marc Eliot repeatedly and embarrassingly refers to the instrument as “steel pedal” instead of the correct PEDAL STEEL, I wonder what else he got wrong. Additionally, his weird, affected and condescending neo-folksy “Hill-bonic” writing style adopted for this subject certainly doesn’t convince me he’s got a good grip on Country & Western music or it’s culture.
Sadly, "...you don't have very far to go" to find out. I started to keep a list of all the obvious errors and missteps but gave up fairly quickly, but here are highlights: There is no E.C. Draft High…Bob Wills NOT Tommy Duncan did the AHA!’s…it’s Buddy Holly and the CRICKETS not “Critics”…and Gram Parsons didn’t go about in “dirty jeans,” he was an image-conscious clothes horse who often wore custom Nudie outfits on an everyday basis (with the trust fund to afford it).
Biographer’s Commandment 1: KNOW THY SUBJECTS BEFORE YOU WRITE ABOUT THEM.
All that said, to quote reviewer Fred Campbell, overall it's not a bad read in that it’s revealing about dates, people and places, but falls quite short when it comes to revealing much about Merle himself, citing as an example the author's inexplicable disregard for Haggard's SERVING 190 PROOF album and the opening track,"Footlights,” which Haggard described as a song about what it felt like to perform minutes after learning his idol Lefty Frizzell had died (a life episode Eliot even describes in the book!). It is as personal and revealing as anything Haggard ever recorded, but the album is ignored and the song is quickly dismissed.
And in the What Were They Thinking department, choosing author Marc Eliot to narrate the Audio version was a mistake of EPIC proportions. His halting, poorly articulated, mispronounced and at times unintentionally comic deadpan delivery reminds me of a speech therapy session — or makes me wonder if English is his second language — and his insulting, faux-“hillbilly” impressions of Buck Owens and other interview subjects are beyond absurd sounding more like cartoon character Snuffy Smith with a mouth full of industrial ball bearings. Leave that stuff to professional voice actors. Please.
The publishers describe this as "definitive”…I describe it as a “misfire”.
Merle Haggard is one of the most important American artists and poets of the 20th century, regularly mentioned in the same company with Bob Dylan, Robert Frost, etc., and as such deserves a much better biography than this weird mess, not to mention a better produced-audio book!
Similarly, every time author (and Eagles superfan) Marc Eliot repeatedly and embarrassingly refers to the instrument as “steel pedal” instead of the correct PEDAL STEEL, I wonder what else he got wrong. Additionally, his weird, affected and condescending neo-folksy “Hill-bonic” writing style adopted for this subject certainly doesn’t convince me he’s got a good grip on Country & Western music or it’s culture.
Sadly, "...you don't have very far to go" to find out. I started to keep a list of all the obvious errors and missteps but gave up fairly quickly, but here are highlights: There is no E.C. Draft High…Bob Wills NOT Tommy Duncan did the AHA!’s…it’s Buddy Holly and the CRICKETS not “Critics”…and Gram Parsons didn’t go about in “dirty jeans,” he was an image-conscious clothes horse who often wore custom Nudie outfits on an everyday basis (with the trust fund to afford it).
Biographer’s Commandment 1: KNOW THY SUBJECTS BEFORE YOU WRITE ABOUT THEM.
All that said, to quote reviewer Fred Campbell, overall it's not a bad read in that it’s revealing about dates, people and places, but falls quite short when it comes to revealing much about Merle himself, citing as an example the author's inexplicable disregard for Haggard's SERVING 190 PROOF album and the opening track,"Footlights,” which Haggard described as a song about what it felt like to perform minutes after learning his idol Lefty Frizzell had died (a life episode Eliot even describes in the book!). It is as personal and revealing as anything Haggard ever recorded, but the album is ignored and the song is quickly dismissed.
And in the What Were They Thinking department, choosing author Marc Eliot to narrate the Audio version was a mistake of EPIC proportions. His halting, poorly articulated, mispronounced and at times unintentionally comic deadpan delivery reminds me of a speech therapy session — or makes me wonder if English is his second language — and his insulting, faux-“hillbilly” impressions of Buck Owens and other interview subjects are beyond absurd sounding more like cartoon character Snuffy Smith with a mouth full of industrial ball bearings. Leave that stuff to professional voice actors. Please.
The publishers describe this as "definitive”…I describe it as a “misfire”.
Merle Haggard is one of the most important American artists and poets of the 20th century, regularly mentioned in the same company with Bob Dylan, Robert Frost, etc., and as such deserves a much better biography than this weird mess, not to mention a better produced-audio book!
February 18, 2022
The Hag is a decent biography and, at times, illuminates aspects of Merle Haggard's life that we hadn't seen much before. Still, it's a biography that often lacks heart. Anyone with available facts and figures, dates and times, and access to the right people, could have written this book. In the "Afterward", Eliot recalls the time he first heard Merle's music, but there's little in the book, itself, to suggest that Eliot actually likes Merle's music. It feels as though this professional biographer was writing just another book.
I appreciate what I know now about Merle Haggard that I didn't know before. As I said, The Hag is often illuminating. That knowledge, however, is a bit tainted by the fact that numerous errors in the book make me doubt the veracity of this new information. Eliot refers to a show Merle did at E.C. Draft High School in Lynchburg, Virginia; there is no such high school. There is, however, an E.C. Glass High School. Eliot calls Buddy Holly's band The Critics, when we all know they were The Crickets.
Eliot also makes it sound like Ben Haggard joined The Strangers on guitar during one of Merle's last tours. I started seeing Ben backing his father in 2009.
My biggest complaint is with Eliot's complete ignorance of Merle's Serving 190 Proof album and "Footlights", that album's opening track, which Merle described as being about how it feels to go on stage five minutes after someone tells you Lefty Frizzell died. That song and all of the other songs make Serving 190 Proof one of the more personal and revealing recordings ever made, yet Eliot never mentions the album. His only reference to "Footlights" portrays it as a song Merle recorded with George Jones. He did, but at a much later date.
Perhaps this review of The Hag makes me seem too smart for my own good -- one who knows too much Merle Haggard trivia to appreciate Eliot's effort. Maybe Eliot never counted on some one like me buying his book. Maybe a true Merle Haggard fan will write the next Hag biography.
I appreciate what I know now about Merle Haggard that I didn't know before. As I said, The Hag is often illuminating. That knowledge, however, is a bit tainted by the fact that numerous errors in the book make me doubt the veracity of this new information. Eliot refers to a show Merle did at E.C. Draft High School in Lynchburg, Virginia; there is no such high school. There is, however, an E.C. Glass High School. Eliot calls Buddy Holly's band The Critics, when we all know they were The Crickets.
Eliot also makes it sound like Ben Haggard joined The Strangers on guitar during one of Merle's last tours. I started seeing Ben backing his father in 2009.
My biggest complaint is with Eliot's complete ignorance of Merle's Serving 190 Proof album and "Footlights", that album's opening track, which Merle described as being about how it feels to go on stage five minutes after someone tells you Lefty Frizzell died. That song and all of the other songs make Serving 190 Proof one of the more personal and revealing recordings ever made, yet Eliot never mentions the album. His only reference to "Footlights" portrays it as a song Merle recorded with George Jones. He did, but at a much later date.
Perhaps this review of The Hag makes me seem too smart for my own good -- one who knows too much Merle Haggard trivia to appreciate Eliot's effort. Maybe Eliot never counted on some one like me buying his book. Maybe a true Merle Haggard fan will write the next Hag biography.
Read
May 7, 2022Merle Haggard was a musical genius. His melodies were simple but his poetic lyrics could be complex. He was as country as country can be with a depth that goes beyond classification. Marc Eliot’s The Hag: The Life, Times, and Music of Merle Haggard understands all of this and conveys Haggard’s biography in the context of his music.
I was privileged to see Merle Haggard three times after not seeing him one other time. In the mid-1970s, we had tickets to see Haggard with Marty Robbins at Veterans Auditorium in Des Moines, but the show was cancelled at the last minute. The Hag explains some of the dynamics behind that tour.
Then I finally saw Merle for the first time in 1991 at the Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles, Illinois. After a plane crash claimed the lives of several members of Reba McEntire’s band and entourage, numerous country music stars stepped up and played many of the shows that McEntire was forced to cancel, including an engagement at Pheasant Run. Although I wasn’t interested in seeing the originally-scheduled Reba McEntire concert, when it was announced that Merle Haggard would headline the replacement show, I was all in. Sawyer Brown and Lorrie Morgan opened the emotional program, and Merle was the iconic anchor, delivering a solid set of his hits and ending with a sincere “We love you, Reba.”
Several years later we saw him up close at the House of Blues in Chicago. Merle did a full show in top form. We were close enough to make eye contact numerous times, and every song was delivered with charm, craftsmanship, and penetrating sincerity.
Our final time seeing Merle was with Bob Dylan and Amos Lee at Chicago’s Auditorium Theatre in 2005. Bob was weird. Merle was great. Amos was appealing. This tour, including the five-night engagement in Chicago, is explained thoroughly in The Hag.
Marc Eliot does a superb job of telling Haggard’s life, from his impoverished childhood, to his rebellious teen years that kept him in jails cells for much of the time including two years in San Quentin, through the raucous years of his early success in music, and on to the legend-building phase that ended with his place in history firmly established. Eliot interprets Haggard’s life mostly through the music, but also dangerously delves into the psychological motivations behind Haggard’s behavior and decisions.
Although I was familiar with the contours of Haggard’s life and work, The Hag provided a lot of new information and deepened my appreciation for the song catalog that I’ve known pretty well for a very long time. Thanks to Goodreads Giveaways for sending me a copy of this fine book.
I was privileged to see Merle Haggard three times after not seeing him one other time. In the mid-1970s, we had tickets to see Haggard with Marty Robbins at Veterans Auditorium in Des Moines, but the show was cancelled at the last minute. The Hag explains some of the dynamics behind that tour.
Then I finally saw Merle for the first time in 1991 at the Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles, Illinois. After a plane crash claimed the lives of several members of Reba McEntire’s band and entourage, numerous country music stars stepped up and played many of the shows that McEntire was forced to cancel, including an engagement at Pheasant Run. Although I wasn’t interested in seeing the originally-scheduled Reba McEntire concert, when it was announced that Merle Haggard would headline the replacement show, I was all in. Sawyer Brown and Lorrie Morgan opened the emotional program, and Merle was the iconic anchor, delivering a solid set of his hits and ending with a sincere “We love you, Reba.”
Several years later we saw him up close at the House of Blues in Chicago. Merle did a full show in top form. We were close enough to make eye contact numerous times, and every song was delivered with charm, craftsmanship, and penetrating sincerity.
Our final time seeing Merle was with Bob Dylan and Amos Lee at Chicago’s Auditorium Theatre in 2005. Bob was weird. Merle was great. Amos was appealing. This tour, including the five-night engagement in Chicago, is explained thoroughly in The Hag.
Marc Eliot does a superb job of telling Haggard’s life, from his impoverished childhood, to his rebellious teen years that kept him in jails cells for much of the time including two years in San Quentin, through the raucous years of his early success in music, and on to the legend-building phase that ended with his place in history firmly established. Eliot interprets Haggard’s life mostly through the music, but also dangerously delves into the psychological motivations behind Haggard’s behavior and decisions.
Although I was familiar with the contours of Haggard’s life and work, The Hag provided a lot of new information and deepened my appreciation for the song catalog that I’ve known pretty well for a very long time. Thanks to Goodreads Giveaways for sending me a copy of this fine book.
December 28, 2024
This is a fascinating, highly readable biography of a man whose music I know only marginally. I can instantly recognize a few songs and even sing along to most of the ones I recognize. But this provided the deep dive I needed to better understand the man, his time, and his music.
The book covers his Oklahoma birth and early years in California. The family lived in what was essentially a refurbed boxcar. His dad died when Merle was nine, and he blamed himself for his dad’s death. His blame was irrational. He could have done nothing to prevent the stroke that killed the guy, but he stubbornly held to his idea throughout his life.
It isn’t long before you see two sides to this guy—the extremely talented performer and the badly flawed broken mess of a man he simultaneously was. After years of committing petty robberies, Haggard finally drew the ire of a judge who sentenced him to an indeterminate stay at San Quentin. While there’ Haggard heard a New Year’s Day performance by Johnny Cash in the prison. The two would later become friends, and Cash would one day conduct an intervention in Haggard’s aging years that likely saved his life.
The simple and ugly truth is that Haggard couldn’t keep it inside his pants. He married five times and drilled so many other women even his biographer didn’t speculate on the number. By his own admission, and that of his children, he was a terrible father. I was fascinated by the duopoly of a man who loved his audience and received its love back on a regular basis and who was a real slime regarding faithfulness in his private life. The booze and drugs nearly killed him in the ‘90s, and it was during those years when he ultimately had to declare bankruptcy despite the literal millions he had made in earlier years. He died on his 79th birthday.
The book covers his Oklahoma birth and early years in California. The family lived in what was essentially a refurbed boxcar. His dad died when Merle was nine, and he blamed himself for his dad’s death. His blame was irrational. He could have done nothing to prevent the stroke that killed the guy, but he stubbornly held to his idea throughout his life.
It isn’t long before you see two sides to this guy—the extremely talented performer and the badly flawed broken mess of a man he simultaneously was. After years of committing petty robberies, Haggard finally drew the ire of a judge who sentenced him to an indeterminate stay at San Quentin. While there’ Haggard heard a New Year’s Day performance by Johnny Cash in the prison. The two would later become friends, and Cash would one day conduct an intervention in Haggard’s aging years that likely saved his life.
The simple and ugly truth is that Haggard couldn’t keep it inside his pants. He married five times and drilled so many other women even his biographer didn’t speculate on the number. By his own admission, and that of his children, he was a terrible father. I was fascinated by the duopoly of a man who loved his audience and received its love back on a regular basis and who was a real slime regarding faithfulness in his private life. The booze and drugs nearly killed him in the ‘90s, and it was during those years when he ultimately had to declare bankruptcy despite the literal millions he had made in earlier years. He died on his 79th birthday.
March 29, 2022
Absolutely great read for any aficionado of ethnomusicology . The Hag is definitive biography of a country legend in regards to loyalty, patients and despair enduring hardships with many runnings with the law and incarceration's of local jails to San Quentin where his dreams to be a performer was cemented when experiencing live performance of legend Johnny Cash. Merle charisma , voice phrasing and sound forever changed Country music and helped distinguished The Bakersfield Sound and never backing down or conforming to any rules of Nashville Music industry the hub of what was then Country music elitist . The anthropology of merle upbringing of Okie from Oklahoma the descendants of white minority Americana diaspora from the dust bowl drought to the working farming fields of Bakersfield were Merle always found his rebellious self hopping train to train adventuring while exploring the sounds of Jimmy Rogers music. For all his turmoil of growing up on the wrong side of train tracks Merle lyrics expressed himself through drugs,women,booze , oppression,poverty and betrayal as the "common man". An wanderlust never conforming or trusting anyone but himself a true American with uncompromising commitment to individual freedom.
September 2, 2022
Very thorough biography that I enjoyed a lot. I have always been a huge fan of Haggard's music. Good to learn a little more about what made him tick. I thought it was very well done.
February 1, 2022
2 1/2 stars.
January 26, 2022
From the Washington Independent Review of Books
By Daniel de Visé
For all its prosperity and collective talent, Nashville has never sat at center stage in the American music industry. Among country artists, only Garth Brooks cracks the top 20 in all-time album sales. Taylor Swift surely knew that when she pivoted from country to pop.
And Bakersfield is not Nashville. Marooned along California’s landlocked I-5 corridor, it’s known mostly for oil, agriculture, and dust. But Bakersfield also ranks as a minor capital of country music, the birthplace of a leaner and meaner sound than the syrupy, stringy stuff that often pours forth from Music Row.
The two big Bakersfield names are Buck Owens and Merle Haggard. Owens was a first-rank guitarist of the postwar era. And Hag? Well, he may just be the most important country artist since Hank.
The Hag, out this month from veteran biographer Marc Eliot, bills itself as the first major biography of Merle Haggard, and it aims to be definitive, weighing in at nearly 400 pages with endnotes and an index, evidence of rigor sadly lacking in many country bios.
If you’re a country fan, you know all about Merle, performer of 37 number-one hits and author of more bona fide country classics than maybe anyone else of the modern era. Merle was a real-life outlaw. He served time in prison and saw Johnny Cash perform in San Quentin as a jump-suited inmate. Soon after, he earned his freedom and launched a music career, writing and singing songs rooted in his own hard life, a seemingly endless string of outlaw masterpieces about bad choices, loss, and regret, including “Swinging Doors,” “The Bottle Let Me Down,” “I’m a Lonesome Fugitive,” “Branded Man,” “Sing Me Back Home,” “Mama Tried,” “Hungry Eyes,” “Workin’ Man Blues,” and “If We Make It Through December,” to name a few.
If you’re not a country fan, you probably know less about Merle and more about Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson, two country greats who crossed over to real success in the pop marketplace. And they are great, but Merle had the complete package: a beautiful baritone voice, movie-star looks, a sterling backing band, and a depth of songwriting talent that maybe even Willie and Johnny couldn’t quite match because they didn’t live their songs the way Merle did.
Merle lived a hardscrabble American life not too far removed from the railyard adventures of his hero, Jimmie Rodgers, the father of country music. Merle was born in the final years of the Depression. His family lived for a time in an actual boxcar. His father died of a brain hemorrhage before Merle turned 10. By his teens, Merle was stealing cars and writing rubber checks, hitchhiking, and jumping freight trains. He was in and out of jail.
He also shadowed country stars, and one night, Lefty Frizzell heard him sing. Lefty insisted Merle go onstage. He became a country singer then, but before his career could take off, he wound up back in jail. Watching Johnny Cash play at San Quentin inspired him, and he exited prison with fresh resolve to make a living through song. He scored his first hit with “Sing a Sad Song” in 1964, while in his late 20s. His first few singles covered other artists, but by “Swinging Doors,” he was mostly writing his own.
Marc Eliot has written biographies of Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart, and Clint Eastwood. He is a prolific author and knows country music. With The Hag, I sense that he tried to write in a voice approximating Merle’s own. The resulting text reads like something written 50 or 60 years ago. It’s hokey in places, just like Merle, and pitched to male readers, especially in matters of sex.
Eliot writes of “warm and wet whore heaven,” of “hot and willing girls,” of a woman’s “dress-filling skills,” of “the T and A turnstile,” and of the moment when Merle’s music “gave country music back its balls.” Some of the direct quotes are worse. All this might have passed unnoticed in 1995 or even 2015, but it will be interesting to see if the author catches flak for invoking boys-club parlance in 2022. Then again, Merle himself used a lot of the same language in his two memoirs, both enjoyable reads.
Time has a way of sorting out greats from also-rans. Country fans always held Merle up there with George and Tammy, Willie and Waylon, Loretta and Dolly, as country royalty of the long-player era. Music geeks and record collectors gradually recognized Merle’s primacy as a songwriter and performer: Copies of his debut LP fetch $50 online. But Merle’s legend has seeped only slowly into the consciousness of your typical Stones or Springsteen fan.
One impediment was “Okie from Muskogee,” a tongue-in-cheek, anti-hippie anthem from 1969 that won Merle massive praise from the military, the Nixon Administration, and most country fans. Yet apart from the Grateful Dead, most rockers and their fans hated it. Merle apparently harbored real hatred toward hippies until his autumn years, when he discovered pot and his stance softened. (In one cringeworthy scene from The Hag, Merle reads a poem he’s written for First Lady Pat Nixon while “America the Beautiful” plays in the background.)
The long wait for the world to recognize Merle Haggard provides The Hag with a nice hum of dramatic tension, although I wish Eliot wouldn’t have punctured it at the end of some chapters with a line revealing what’s about to happen (e.g., “Was there anything for Merle to look forward to? Plenty, as it turned out”).
But The Hag is a breezy read, and the payoff arrives in 2005, when Bob Dylan invited Merle to open some dates on his Never Ending Tour. For Merle, at least, the pairing was perfect. Dylan, by then, was alienating audiences by singing his lyrics in scattershot bursts and without discernible melody. Many Dylan fans had never seen Merle, who dazzled them with crisp sets of his devastating work.
Droves of disaffected Dylan fans fled for the exits after Merle’s opening. At one point, Merle actually scolded Dylan for mumbling behind a piano rather than stepping to the front of the stage with his guitar, a beautiful moment of cultural disconnect. Merle was a performer: He was never going to understand someone who hid from his fans. Those were aristocratic pretensions, and country is a working-class game.
The Dylan tour posited Merle Haggard as a national treasure. And Ken Burns, whose 2019 country-music documentary reached millions, properly placed him among the greats three years after his death. The Hag isn’t for everyone, but stick with it, and you may find yourself tearing up toward the end.
Daniel de Visé is the author, most recently, of King of the Blues: The Rise and Reign of B.B. King.
By Daniel de Visé
For all its prosperity and collective talent, Nashville has never sat at center stage in the American music industry. Among country artists, only Garth Brooks cracks the top 20 in all-time album sales. Taylor Swift surely knew that when she pivoted from country to pop.
And Bakersfield is not Nashville. Marooned along California’s landlocked I-5 corridor, it’s known mostly for oil, agriculture, and dust. But Bakersfield also ranks as a minor capital of country music, the birthplace of a leaner and meaner sound than the syrupy, stringy stuff that often pours forth from Music Row.
The two big Bakersfield names are Buck Owens and Merle Haggard. Owens was a first-rank guitarist of the postwar era. And Hag? Well, he may just be the most important country artist since Hank.
The Hag, out this month from veteran biographer Marc Eliot, bills itself as the first major biography of Merle Haggard, and it aims to be definitive, weighing in at nearly 400 pages with endnotes and an index, evidence of rigor sadly lacking in many country bios.
If you’re a country fan, you know all about Merle, performer of 37 number-one hits and author of more bona fide country classics than maybe anyone else of the modern era. Merle was a real-life outlaw. He served time in prison and saw Johnny Cash perform in San Quentin as a jump-suited inmate. Soon after, he earned his freedom and launched a music career, writing and singing songs rooted in his own hard life, a seemingly endless string of outlaw masterpieces about bad choices, loss, and regret, including “Swinging Doors,” “The Bottle Let Me Down,” “I’m a Lonesome Fugitive,” “Branded Man,” “Sing Me Back Home,” “Mama Tried,” “Hungry Eyes,” “Workin’ Man Blues,” and “If We Make It Through December,” to name a few.
If you’re not a country fan, you probably know less about Merle and more about Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson, two country greats who crossed over to real success in the pop marketplace. And they are great, but Merle had the complete package: a beautiful baritone voice, movie-star looks, a sterling backing band, and a depth of songwriting talent that maybe even Willie and Johnny couldn’t quite match because they didn’t live their songs the way Merle did.
Merle lived a hardscrabble American life not too far removed from the railyard adventures of his hero, Jimmie Rodgers, the father of country music. Merle was born in the final years of the Depression. His family lived for a time in an actual boxcar. His father died of a brain hemorrhage before Merle turned 10. By his teens, Merle was stealing cars and writing rubber checks, hitchhiking, and jumping freight trains. He was in and out of jail.
He also shadowed country stars, and one night, Lefty Frizzell heard him sing. Lefty insisted Merle go onstage. He became a country singer then, but before his career could take off, he wound up back in jail. Watching Johnny Cash play at San Quentin inspired him, and he exited prison with fresh resolve to make a living through song. He scored his first hit with “Sing a Sad Song” in 1964, while in his late 20s. His first few singles covered other artists, but by “Swinging Doors,” he was mostly writing his own.
Marc Eliot has written biographies of Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart, and Clint Eastwood. He is a prolific author and knows country music. With The Hag, I sense that he tried to write in a voice approximating Merle’s own. The resulting text reads like something written 50 or 60 years ago. It’s hokey in places, just like Merle, and pitched to male readers, especially in matters of sex.
Eliot writes of “warm and wet whore heaven,” of “hot and willing girls,” of a woman’s “dress-filling skills,” of “the T and A turnstile,” and of the moment when Merle’s music “gave country music back its balls.” Some of the direct quotes are worse. All this might have passed unnoticed in 1995 or even 2015, but it will be interesting to see if the author catches flak for invoking boys-club parlance in 2022. Then again, Merle himself used a lot of the same language in his two memoirs, both enjoyable reads.
Time has a way of sorting out greats from also-rans. Country fans always held Merle up there with George and Tammy, Willie and Waylon, Loretta and Dolly, as country royalty of the long-player era. Music geeks and record collectors gradually recognized Merle’s primacy as a songwriter and performer: Copies of his debut LP fetch $50 online. But Merle’s legend has seeped only slowly into the consciousness of your typical Stones or Springsteen fan.
One impediment was “Okie from Muskogee,” a tongue-in-cheek, anti-hippie anthem from 1969 that won Merle massive praise from the military, the Nixon Administration, and most country fans. Yet apart from the Grateful Dead, most rockers and their fans hated it. Merle apparently harbored real hatred toward hippies until his autumn years, when he discovered pot and his stance softened. (In one cringeworthy scene from The Hag, Merle reads a poem he’s written for First Lady Pat Nixon while “America the Beautiful” plays in the background.)
The long wait for the world to recognize Merle Haggard provides The Hag with a nice hum of dramatic tension, although I wish Eliot wouldn’t have punctured it at the end of some chapters with a line revealing what’s about to happen (e.g., “Was there anything for Merle to look forward to? Plenty, as it turned out”).
But The Hag is a breezy read, and the payoff arrives in 2005, when Bob Dylan invited Merle to open some dates on his Never Ending Tour. For Merle, at least, the pairing was perfect. Dylan, by then, was alienating audiences by singing his lyrics in scattershot bursts and without discernible melody. Many Dylan fans had never seen Merle, who dazzled them with crisp sets of his devastating work.
Droves of disaffected Dylan fans fled for the exits after Merle’s opening. At one point, Merle actually scolded Dylan for mumbling behind a piano rather than stepping to the front of the stage with his guitar, a beautiful moment of cultural disconnect. Merle was a performer: He was never going to understand someone who hid from his fans. Those were aristocratic pretensions, and country is a working-class game.
The Dylan tour posited Merle Haggard as a national treasure. And Ken Burns, whose 2019 country-music documentary reached millions, properly placed him among the greats three years after his death. The Hag isn’t for everyone, but stick with it, and you may find yourself tearing up toward the end.
Daniel de Visé is the author, most recently, of King of the Blues: The Rise and Reign of B.B. King.
February 22, 2024
I feel so guilty giving this biography such a low rating that I feel at least an explanation is in order.
I'll say on the outset that I did not read the book, but listened to its audio version narrated by the author. It was one of the worst narrations I've listened to, which no doubt tainted my experience with it. Some of that is the slow and dreadfully boring style of the reader (which was only palatable at a minimum of 1.3x speed) but also his common mispronunciations and the way he sounded as if he was unsure of what he was reading at many, many points throughout the book. His attempts to give different characters different voices was a complete fail, and he struggled to switch between those voices often reading a quote or recounting a conversation in the wrong voice, sometimes confusing who was being quoted. You would think someone who had spent so much time in the material researching and writing would have a better grasp on what they were saying.
But maybe there wasn't that much time (or maybe the author just wasn't invested?) in the research. There are dozens of facts (names, dates, storylines) that are off. The discrepancies I caught were just things I happened to know or regarding artists I was very familiar with. But given the astounding number of errors (how long Johnny Cash died after June Carter, referencing Kris Kristofferson as a new artist preserving traditional country in 2006ish, and so many more) one has to question the veracity of the rest of the writing.
I almost want to give it 3 stars, it definitely was an extensive account of Merle Haggard's life but between the bad narration, the errors, and the general disjointed feel of the story (and considering other works I've rated at 3 stars that are far superior to this one) I just can't do it.
I'll say on the outset that I did not read the book, but listened to its audio version narrated by the author. It was one of the worst narrations I've listened to, which no doubt tainted my experience with it. Some of that is the slow and dreadfully boring style of the reader (which was only palatable at a minimum of 1.3x speed) but also his common mispronunciations and the way he sounded as if he was unsure of what he was reading at many, many points throughout the book. His attempts to give different characters different voices was a complete fail, and he struggled to switch between those voices often reading a quote or recounting a conversation in the wrong voice, sometimes confusing who was being quoted. You would think someone who had spent so much time in the material researching and writing would have a better grasp on what they were saying.
But maybe there wasn't that much time (or maybe the author just wasn't invested?) in the research. There are dozens of facts (names, dates, storylines) that are off. The discrepancies I caught were just things I happened to know or regarding artists I was very familiar with. But given the astounding number of errors (how long Johnny Cash died after June Carter, referencing Kris Kristofferson as a new artist preserving traditional country in 2006ish, and so many more) one has to question the veracity of the rest of the writing.
I almost want to give it 3 stars, it definitely was an extensive account of Merle Haggard's life but between the bad narration, the errors, and the general disjointed feel of the story (and considering other works I've rated at 3 stars that are far superior to this one) I just can't do it.
February 13, 2022
The Hag by Marc Eliot was such an interesting book! Not too hard, because Merle Haggard was certainly an interesting guy!!
Mr. Eliot takes you thru Merles life from beginning to end, the good and the bad and everything in between. Definitely the definitive work on Merle and a must read by all country music fans.
I enjoyed reading about a man I knew very little about. Some parts were hard to read ( about the Merle, not the writer) but that is what a good book should do.... Tell all the good, bad and the ugly. You can tell the writer did his research!
Thank you to Netgalley and Hachette Books for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Mr. Eliot takes you thru Merles life from beginning to end, the good and the bad and everything in between. Definitely the definitive work on Merle and a must read by all country music fans.
I enjoyed reading about a man I knew very little about. Some parts were hard to read ( about the Merle, not the writer) but that is what a good book should do.... Tell all the good, bad and the ugly. You can tell the writer did his research!
Thank you to Netgalley and Hachette Books for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
December 6, 2021
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Hachette Books for an advanced copy of this musical history and biography.
Johnny Cash has been responsible for many classic songs, performances, and even political stances. Probably one of his finest acts was giving hope to a poor lost soul during his show at San Quentin State Prison, and making him one of the most important country stars whose catalog of songs no bar band or sad jukebox could exist without. Marc Eliot's The Hag: The Life, Times, and Music of Merle Haggard, tells the story of this country legend, a dirt poor son born with a gift for playing music, but a self-destructive streak that nearly derailed him at every turn.
The biography is, as are all of Mr. Eliot's many biographies well researched and even better, extremely well written. Facts are checked, checked again, and a story might appear twice depending on the story and its veracity. Music biographies can be tough to write as time, pharmaceuticals, grudges, ego, and sheer mundanity of the touring life can make stories fade, or grow, omission sometimes a mistake, or necessary. Mr. Eliot brings in influences, the history of California music, and the rise of Country as a musical genre, along with interviews with friends, enemies, hangers-on and devoted fans to tell the very rich story about a complicated and difficult man.
The music is a major character in the story, but a character that really is the most importance is Mr. Haggard's father who died, when Merle was young and leaving an absence that the singer tried to fill with crime, women, drugs and alcohol. Only luck, with a dash of Johnny Cash, and perseverance steered him right, though many including his mother tried. Plus the stories, songs written on fast food bags, his hours of practicing to make the music perfect, his mimicry of other singers, his many albums, and his always trying to make his father proud.
The only problem I have with biographies is you know that the story will come to the usual end of everyone rich or poor, famous or unknown. The song will fade out, and the house lights will turn off. Merle Haggard in some places was not a very good person, but he wasn't a really bad person either. The Hag is a very good biography about a man with many sorrows. Perfect for country music, or music fans in general, and those that enjoy a very well written biography.
Johnny Cash has been responsible for many classic songs, performances, and even political stances. Probably one of his finest acts was giving hope to a poor lost soul during his show at San Quentin State Prison, and making him one of the most important country stars whose catalog of songs no bar band or sad jukebox could exist without. Marc Eliot's The Hag: The Life, Times, and Music of Merle Haggard, tells the story of this country legend, a dirt poor son born with a gift for playing music, but a self-destructive streak that nearly derailed him at every turn.
The biography is, as are all of Mr. Eliot's many biographies well researched and even better, extremely well written. Facts are checked, checked again, and a story might appear twice depending on the story and its veracity. Music biographies can be tough to write as time, pharmaceuticals, grudges, ego, and sheer mundanity of the touring life can make stories fade, or grow, omission sometimes a mistake, or necessary. Mr. Eliot brings in influences, the history of California music, and the rise of Country as a musical genre, along with interviews with friends, enemies, hangers-on and devoted fans to tell the very rich story about a complicated and difficult man.
The music is a major character in the story, but a character that really is the most importance is Mr. Haggard's father who died, when Merle was young and leaving an absence that the singer tried to fill with crime, women, drugs and alcohol. Only luck, with a dash of Johnny Cash, and perseverance steered him right, though many including his mother tried. Plus the stories, songs written on fast food bags, his hours of practicing to make the music perfect, his mimicry of other singers, his many albums, and his always trying to make his father proud.
The only problem I have with biographies is you know that the story will come to the usual end of everyone rich or poor, famous or unknown. The song will fade out, and the house lights will turn off. Merle Haggard in some places was not a very good person, but he wasn't a really bad person either. The Hag is a very good biography about a man with many sorrows. Perfect for country music, or music fans in general, and those that enjoy a very well written biography.
September 2, 2024
A solid working man's biography for a stoic working man's singer. The Bakersfield (& nearby Oildale)-raised Merle Haggard was the first "outlaw country" musician, a decade before Willie and Waylon made the term hip.
In fact, for the first few years of his success in the late 1960s, Merle was petrified that the public would find out about his earlier stay in San Quentin State Prison (where, as an inmate, he saw Johnny Cash play). It was for the usual teenage delinquent crimes of stealing cars and robbing liquor stores.
The biographer correctly surmised that country music listeners, who may have enjoyed a good outlaw song such Merle's "The Fugitive" and "Mama Tried," would be aghast at an entertainer who turned out to be an actual ex-criminal. Hopefully Merle's restless mind was later assuaged by a well-timed pardon from then-California governor Ronald Reagan for all these youthful (and poverty-driven) infractions.
Haggard had a long string of country music hits, but he never broke out of country music to wider fame (as had Cash). And because of his lifelong discomfort of rock n roll, he never even grew comfortable with the subsequent generation of country-rock musicians coming out of nearby L.A. (Eagles, Poco, etc.) who lionized him. The best gossipy tidbit of this book was that he actually tried to Collab with Gram Parsons, but found the legendary country rocker to be, in his words, "a p*ssy").
Another great tidbit of this biography (which is really the best reason for reading these bios yes?): In the early 1990s, when Haggard got caught up in cocaine, Johnny Cash and Tammy Wynette, at the behest of Merle's daughter, would take turns babysitting Merle after his live shows to make sure his nose didn't get back into the white stuff. Country music royalty truly sounded like a family back then...
In fact, for the first few years of his success in the late 1960s, Merle was petrified that the public would find out about his earlier stay in San Quentin State Prison (where, as an inmate, he saw Johnny Cash play). It was for the usual teenage delinquent crimes of stealing cars and robbing liquor stores.
The biographer correctly surmised that country music listeners, who may have enjoyed a good outlaw song such Merle's "The Fugitive" and "Mama Tried," would be aghast at an entertainer who turned out to be an actual ex-criminal. Hopefully Merle's restless mind was later assuaged by a well-timed pardon from then-California governor Ronald Reagan for all these youthful (and poverty-driven) infractions.
Haggard had a long string of country music hits, but he never broke out of country music to wider fame (as had Cash). And because of his lifelong discomfort of rock n roll, he never even grew comfortable with the subsequent generation of country-rock musicians coming out of nearby L.A. (Eagles, Poco, etc.) who lionized him. The best gossipy tidbit of this book was that he actually tried to Collab with Gram Parsons, but found the legendary country rocker to be, in his words, "a p*ssy").
Another great tidbit of this biography (which is really the best reason for reading these bios yes?): In the early 1990s, when Haggard got caught up in cocaine, Johnny Cash and Tammy Wynette, at the behest of Merle's daughter, would take turns babysitting Merle after his live shows to make sure his nose didn't get back into the white stuff. Country music royalty truly sounded like a family back then...
March 12, 2022
I grew up in the south listening to the voices of country music greats from Nashville to California. Merle Haggard was one of those. Like most everyone else I identified Haggard with "Okie From Muskogee". This book was an eye-opener for me of the artistic achievements that go way beyond that song. Like many country greats, Merle was born poor. His father died when he was nine leaving him with little of the tough supervision and discipline he needed. He avoided school, road trains, and stole cars and money. Haggard spent a great deal of his youth in juvenile detention and his beginning adult life in prison. Music was his one saving grace. Following a tumultuous youth, he gained success, not just as a singer but as a songwriter. He married five times, the most notable to the ex-wife of Buck Owens, Bonnie who was a successful singer-songwriter in her own right and toured with him for years following their divorce. He fathered at least five children and spent little time with them or on the homefront, feeling the most comfortable in his tour buses, a place that was home for him for most of his adult life. Haggard was highly successful but also self-destructive and like most creative geniuses he was never quite comfortable with himself and his achievements.
This book is an excellent examination of the country and pop culture of the 1960s and beyond. It tells in detail the story of Haggard's work and how that work was influenced and how it influenced others. For music lovers of all kinds, it is a must-read. The book is well researched and well written, documenting the life of one of country music's cultural greats. Thanks to #NetGalley#TheHag for the opportunity to read and review this book.
This book is an excellent examination of the country and pop culture of the 1960s and beyond. It tells in detail the story of Haggard's work and how that work was influenced and how it influenced others. For music lovers of all kinds, it is a must-read. The book is well researched and well written, documenting the life of one of country music's cultural greats. Thanks to #NetGalley#TheHag for the opportunity to read and review this book.
January 31, 2023
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley to read and review.
THE HAG: THE LIFE, TIMES, AND MUSIC OF MERLE HAGGARD by author Marc Eliot is a biography of the legendary country music star who lived a life that includes the hard work and determination that was required to find success in music after his imprisonment for armed robbery, and the high and low points experienced along the way.
Merle found success in Bakersfield CA as another country legend Buck Owens did before him, and Buck becomes an important person in both the personal and professional life of Merle, as does Buck’s ex wife Bonnie who is an important part of Merle’s life throughout his career.
Something the author does quite well is to give a window into the mental scars Merle bore from his imprisonment, that while giving him motivation also adversely affected his personal and professional relationships, and along with the stress of life on the road and the physical and mental strains involved, all combined to make him a complicated and at times difficult person to deal with, and unfortunately affect his decision making in ways that made him somewhat of a loner who never seemed to really experience the satisfaction he must have envisioned when he set off on the path of a life as a successful and respected music star.
5 stars, and recommended to all interested in the life and times of an artist who goes against the grain while bucking authority, and who succeeds in the face of adversity.
THE HAG: THE LIFE, TIMES, AND MUSIC OF MERLE HAGGARD by author Marc Eliot is a biography of the legendary country music star who lived a life that includes the hard work and determination that was required to find success in music after his imprisonment for armed robbery, and the high and low points experienced along the way.
Merle found success in Bakersfield CA as another country legend Buck Owens did before him, and Buck becomes an important person in both the personal and professional life of Merle, as does Buck’s ex wife Bonnie who is an important part of Merle’s life throughout his career.
Something the author does quite well is to give a window into the mental scars Merle bore from his imprisonment, that while giving him motivation also adversely affected his personal and professional relationships, and along with the stress of life on the road and the physical and mental strains involved, all combined to make him a complicated and at times difficult person to deal with, and unfortunately affect his decision making in ways that made him somewhat of a loner who never seemed to really experience the satisfaction he must have envisioned when he set off on the path of a life as a successful and respected music star.
5 stars, and recommended to all interested in the life and times of an artist who goes against the grain while bucking authority, and who succeeds in the face of adversity.
March 5, 2022
“The Hag- Life, Times and Music of Merle Haggard” was a compilation of the artists life and a homage to the Country music sound birthed in Bakersfield, California.
Author Marc Eliot presented a fair and honest telling of Haggards life, his humble beginnings and the rebellious trajectory brought by his father’s death. Merle’s bouts with the law, his time in San Quentin and his lifelong search for validation while wielding enormous talent. The book read too, like a cataloging of Haggard’s songs, while injecting the successes and disappointments that were measured by the times they were written.
An enjoyable biography, much was learned about the man. While he seemed a loner, a stranger in a strange land, his hunger for love and approval was tragic considering he never accepted and trusted those who did love them. Merle Haggard was a poet, a genius, who gave the world a unique sound and story.
Author Marc Eliot presented a fair and honest telling of Haggards life, his humble beginnings and the rebellious trajectory brought by his father’s death. Merle’s bouts with the law, his time in San Quentin and his lifelong search for validation while wielding enormous talent. The book read too, like a cataloging of Haggard’s songs, while injecting the successes and disappointments that were measured by the times they were written.
An enjoyable biography, much was learned about the man. While he seemed a loner, a stranger in a strange land, his hunger for love and approval was tragic considering he never accepted and trusted those who did love them. Merle Haggard was a poet, a genius, who gave the world a unique sound and story.
November 29, 2022
This is a very engaging biography of Merle Haggard and enjoyable to read. I do know from reading some other reviews that there are a few facts in the book that are reported incorrectly, so beware. However, the book itself is engaging and a very comprehensive portrait of The Hag. It is impressive that he achieved the success he did, really 2 times, having come from the background he had, while never really getting over the challenge of loosing his father at an early age. One has to wonder if he would have enjoyed the success he did had that not happened. Another item I learned through this story, was that the picture I had of Buck Owens is really not accurate. I had really only only of the "Aw Shucks hayseed" he played on Hee Haw. I would highly recommend this book.
December 23, 2021
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The story of this music legend and his music is portrayed in such a way as you feel that you are living these times right with Merle. The author gives you a detailed view of not only Merle's life but many other country music stars as well as the Bakersfield music. The personal quotes and stories about Merle from his friends give you a personal view of the true Merle. The excellent research by the author is very evident and adds many interesting historical facts.
I highly recommend this book whether you are a Merle fan or not. It is an outstanding read and a definite keeper for my bookshelf.
I highly recommend this book whether you are a Merle fan or not. It is an outstanding read and a definite keeper for my bookshelf.
March 26, 2022
I have always known a few of Merle Haggard's big hits, but it wasn't until the past year or so that I really got into his music. Simply put, the more I heard, the more he blew me away. Naturally, after hearing so many amazing songs I wanted to know more about him personally. This book tells his incredible story in great step-by-step detail, without ever being boring or judgemental. It covers more than 80 years of Haggard history (starting with his parents before Merle was born) but moves at such a smooth pace the years fly by. This was definitely one of the best biographies I have read in a long time.
February 18, 2023
Truly, this book served to reinforce my distrust for the media at large. Finding out that it was Cancer not double pneumonia that took his life was shocking for me in all honesty. I was in absolute all at the fact that right up until a month before he passed away, he was still working! Not for himself, but to make sure that his band got paid for the two months they didn’t do any work! It just reinforces the belief that Merle Haggard truly was the man, the myth, and the legend in my opinion! This author unbiased tells the story, the chilling story from every perspective regarding who, and what merle, haggard was, and stood for.
February 28, 2023
Really quality read on the life of Merle Haggard that also does an excellent describing the Bakersfield country music scene that he came up in. Though other books including ones by Merle also include much of the information found here, there are still new revelations to be found in this book, along with presenting the information in a compelling manner to keep most anyone engaged regardless of your level of Merle fandom.
Only gripe is in numerous instances, simple editing issues made it into the final copy. Was a little surprised by this by a seasoned author and publisher. But overall, it's a quality work.
Only gripe is in numerous instances, simple editing issues made it into the final copy. Was a little surprised by this by a seasoned author and publisher. But overall, it's a quality work.
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