Introduction:
In the quiet, reflective tone that always marked his interviews, Merle Haggard once spoke about the deep roots of his music and the people who helped shape it. In a rare conversation recorded for Google Music, Haggard offered listeners more than anecdotes — he gave them an honest glimpse into the heart of a country legend still devoted to his craft, his family, and his faith in music.
Haggard opened the interview with humble gratitude, introducing Working Man Blues — one of the centerpiece tracks from his new record — and sharing how the project brought together two generations of talent. His words carried pride when he spoke of his youngest son, Ben Haggard. For years, Ben’s musical gift was quietly nurtured by his mother, away from Merle’s ears. When Merle finally heard his son sing at fifteen, he was “blown away,” unable to believe what he was hearing. Since then, Ben had joined him on stage, a living testament to the enduring bloodline of Bakersfield sound. “It’s a joy to work with him,” Haggard said warmly. “We don’t have to worry about each other. We can walk on stage without a script — and pull it off.”
The conversation then turned to another kindred spirit: Willie Nelson. For decades, Haggard and Nelson embodied the restless, honest energy of outlaw country. Speaking with deep respect, Merle described Willie as “a great person to know and to work with because he has all the credibility and everything.” The two men shared more than stages — they shared values, friendship, and the experience of watching their sons, Ben and Lukas, carry their legacies forward. “It’s great to go on stage with people like that,” Haggard reflected. “And I know they feel the same thing about me.”
Yet behind his laughter was a quiet ache. Returning to his hometown of Bakersfield, California, he confessed, was bittersweet. The streets of his youth — once full of promise — had faded with time. “Where I used to live was the good part of town,” he said. “Now it’s in shambles.” What was once the cradle of the Bakersfield Sound had become a symbol of change — of America’s relentless forward motion and the toll it takes on the past.
Still, even amid reflection and nostalgia, Merle’s humility remained. When he spoke of receiving honors such as the Kennedy Center Award, there was genuine disbelief. “It was overwhelming,” he admitted. “You have to pinch yourself to know it’s really happening.”
And in his closing thoughts, Haggard offered something profound — a glimpse into how an artist keeps creating long after the world thinks his best songs are behind him. “My heroes inspire me every night,” he said. “When I need something on stage and don’t have it of my own, I borrow from one of my heroes. They’re so old now that people don’t even know what I’m doing — and it works.”
In those words lies the essence of Merle Haggard — an artist rooted in the past, inspired by the present, and forever reaching for something timeless. His story is not only that of a working man but of a man who never stopped working — for the music, for his family, and for the truth.