Merle Haggard enjoyed numerous artistic and professional triumphs, including more than 100 country hits (38 No. 1s), dozens of studio and live album releases, upwards of 10,000 concerts, induction ...

If you look up ten lists or playlists of country Christmas songs, you’ll likely find Merle Haggard’s 1973 No. 1 hit “If We Make It Through December” in at least five of them. In my opinion, it’s out ...

Merle Haggard was an escape artist. The future country music legend broke out of juvenile hall and prison 17 times by his own count as a teenager and young man. But his greatest escape was getting out ...

Cody Jinks has always had a love for the legends and outlaws who paved the way for artists like him. Last year, Jinks honored one of his musical heroes by releasing a tribute record to Lefty Frizzell, ...

Country legend Merle Haggard has been brought into the national spotlight again, thanks to vice presidential candidate JD Vance repeatedly using one of the late singer’s anthems as his walk-up music ...

"America First" was a theme in JD Vance's speech Wednesday at the Republican National Convention, and it was even a theme in his intro music to the stage. Vance greeted the crowd at the RNC Wednesday ...

Get to know Merle Haggard’s kids: Dana, Marty, Kelli, Noel, Jenessa and Ben While country singer Merle Haggard was making a name as a maverick of the “Bakersfield sound,” he was also welcoming his ...

Willie Nelson is releasing "Workin' Man: Willie Sings Merle," his 78th solo album, as a tribute to Merle Haggard. The new album features 11 covers of Haggard's songs, including "Workin’ Man Blues" and ...

Twenty years ago, the country legend talked with Variety's chief music critic about what drove him to write the anti-Bush/anti-Iraq-war song, now being revived as the Republican VP candidate's walk-up ...

Get to know Merle Haggard’s kids: Dana, Marty, Kelli, Noel, Jenessa and Ben Emy LaCroix is a contributing writer at PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since 2022. She previously worked as the ...