Introduction:
A quiet but powerful movement is unfolding in country music—one driven not by trends or reinvention, but by legacy. A few months ago, Shooter Jennings, son of outlaw icon Waylon Jennings, announced the upcoming release of three albums built entirely from his father’s archived recordings. The first of these, Songbird, is set to arrive on October 3, 2025—an event already stirring deep emotion among longtime fans.
Now, a similar sense of anticipation is surrounding the family of another country legend: Merle Haggard. His sons, Ben Haggard and Noel Haggard, have recently revealed that their late father’s vault contains rare and unreleased material—some of it never heard by the public.
During a recent appearance on the Drifting Cowboy Podcast, the brothers shared that they have begun revisiting Merle Haggard’s archives in the studio. What they’ve uncovered goes far beyond unfinished songs. According to Ben and Noel, the collection includes live concert recordings, raw studio material, and even homemade films shot by Merle himself over the years.
Ben Haggard spoke candidly about the emotional weight of rediscovering this material. “There’s some stuff we’ve been messing around with in the studio,” he explained. “There’s a good amount of archive—live shows and things like that. My mother will probably end up doing something with it, getting some of it out there.” His words carried both excitement and a sense of responsibility, as if he understands these recordings are more than artifacts—they are living extensions of his father’s voice.
Ben went on to emphasize that some of the unreleased material includes entirely unheard songs. “There’s stuff that has never been heard, new songs out there for certain,” he said. “Which need to find a way out, if you ask me.” It was a simple statement, but one that resonated deeply with fans who believe Merle Haggard’s storytelling still belongs in the present, not locked away in storage.
Noel Haggard added another layer to the story by recalling personal memories tied to the archival footage. He described homemade movies shot in Bakersfield, often featuring Merle experimenting with cameras, commercials, and creative ideas. “I was just a little kid running wires and stuff for them,” Noel recalled with a laugh. “But it was hilarious. He’d do commercials and everything. Those have got to be somewhere.”
While no formal release plans have been announced, the tone of the conversation suggests genuine eagerness within the Haggard family to eventually share this hidden chapter of Merle’s legacy. Like the Jennings family, Ben and Noel appear motivated not by commercial pressure, but by a desire to honor memory, history, and authenticity.
If these deep cuts do find their way to the public, they won’t just be new releases—they’ll be echoes of a voice that shaped generations. And for country music fans, that possibility is something worth waiting for.