Merle Haggard was 71 years old when his pickup truck slid off a back road outside Palo Cedro, California, in early 2008. The man who wrote “Mama Tried” — the ex-con turned outlaw country giant — laid in that ditch for almost two hours before someone found him.His wife Theresa didn’t cry at the hospital. She just held his hand and waited.When Merle came out of sedation, he didn’t ask about his guitar. He didn’t ask about the tour. He asked her to play a Lefty Frizzell record — the same one his daddy used to spin in their old converted boxcar home back in Oildale.”I’ve been chasing Lefty my whole life,” he told her. “I think I finally caught him.”Theresa wrote those words down on a napkin. She still keeps it folded in her wallet.
admin Introduction: For millions of country music fans, Merle Haggard will always be remembered as the voice of hard-earned truth. His songs spoke of struggle, redemption, family, regret, and resilience because…