Merle Haggard News

Somewhere in the recent past country music lost its soul. Too many personal trainers, cliche-cluttered songs, and pop sensibilities left the music in the People magazine pop culture Dumpster.

George Strait has scored his 25th #1 on Billboard 's Country Albums chart with Love Is Everything , extending George's reign as the artist with the most chart-toppers on that tally.

Kacey Musgraves isn't necessarily the spokesperson for modern country music but her debut album, "Same Trailer Different Park," is powerful enough to shift the direction of the genre.

The Bardavon has announced three shows this fall at the Ulster Performing Arts Center.

A legendary country singer/songwriter, a dog whisperer and an "American Idiot" will highlight the upcoming season at the F.M. Kirby Center for the Peforming Arts.

Terry Talbot and his band, Mason Profit, have a rich history in American music. In August of 1969 Mason Profit released Terry's first of thirty albums and changed the face of music forever.

These days, country music is all about artists such as Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert and Jason Aldean.

Jamey Johnson, seen here during the 2011 New Orleans Jazz Fest, returns to New Orleans to perform with outlaw country icon Merle Haggard at Champions Square on June 29, 2013.

When speaking of North Texas country music collective Chapter 11, we're not using the term "collective" lightly.

This past week, I chatted with country music icon Merle Haggard for an article in Rock Cellar Magazine - and although we certainly discussed music, we forged a unique connection over our shared interest in trains.

Following George Jones' death last week, his friend Larry Gatlin said, 'Three days ago, somebody became the best country singer alive.' But who can fill those shoes? Following George Jones' death last week, his friend Larry Gatlin said, "Three days ago, somebody became the best country singer alive." Country music hasn't had that debate for more ... (more)

I am surprised that Jones, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard, Patsy Cline, etc.

His voice was like a stradivarius violin: one of the greatest instruments ever made.

In past columns, I've stated that while I do appreciate and enjoy modern country music, I'm more into the older, traditional country: Merle Haggard, Ernest Tubb, Pasty Cline, Dottie West, Tammy Wynette .

I'm serving Saipan a slice of Americana today, as we note the passing of a uniquely American musician.

So if you've been paying attention you've probably deduced that during the summer touring season, Blossom Music Center is Country music central with its annual visits from Toby Keith and which ever other Country superstar in on the road at the time.

My memory has a terrible calendar so I can't name the year but one night George Jones, who is right up there on "my greatest of all time" with Elvis, Conway Twitty, and Merle Haggard, was singing to a sellout crowd at the Memorial Auditorium and I stopped by for a drink with "The Possum They called George "The Possum" early on because he admitted ... (more)

George Jones was widely recognized as one of the greatest honky-tonk singers of his time and also one of the most self-destructive. The County Music Hall of Fame vocalist, who died Friday at age 81, left behind a life of turmoil and a string of country classics, including "White Lightning" ; "She Thinks I Still Care" ; "We're Gonna Hold On" , with ... (more)

A bit of this and a bit of that, with several concerts booked fairly far ahead of us, including: June 19, Merle Haggard at the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center Theatre; July 19, Marty Raybon ; Oct.

Receive FREE access by logging in to or creating your Spokesman.com account. Three decades ago, an east Texas singer named George Jones took on an impossibly melodramatic, shamelessly sentimental song about a man who desperately clutched at lost love until his dying breath.