One of Merle Haggard's classics. In 1973, Merle released "If We Make It Through December" as the lead single for his Christmas album Merle Haggard’s Christmas Present, but it later became the the ...

Fifty-nine years ago today, Merle Haggard released what would later become his first single to reach the top of the country ...

Generally speaking, an artist has little to no control over which of their songs will become the most popular and commercially successful, and that’s certainly true of the iconic Merle Haggard song he ...

One of The Hag's most autobiographical songs, indeed. On this date in 1966, Merle Haggard released his single "The Fugitive," which would later be know as "I'm a Lonesome Fugitive," which ultimately ...

That last query is impossible to answer with certainty, of course, since Haggard passed away in 2015, and his political views were unpredictable enough in life, let alone in death. But the legend’s ...

Nine years after Merle Haggard’s death at 79, Ethan Hawke has organized a public wake, and it’s a humdinger. A biography by way of California road trip and recording-studio extravaganza, Highway 99: A ...

This is FRESH AIR. I'm David Bianculli. This week marks the 40th anniversary of Farm Aid, the country music concert founded by Willie Nelson as a fundraiser to benefit farmers. Held in Champaign, ...