10 Years Gone, But His Voice Still Breaks Hearts: The Haggard Family’s Message Leaves Fans in Tears. A decade after Merle Haggard’s final curtain fell, his spirit still lingers in every aching lyric and every soul-stirring chord. Recently, his family shared a message so moving it brought fans to tears—rekindling memories of where it all began. Born in the unforgiving years of the Great Depression, Merle grew up not in luxury, but in grit and grace. In a humble boxcar in Oildale, California, young Merle first heard Jimmie Rodgers on a crackling radio—and something eternal was born. That worn boxcar, cold and bare, became the cradle of a dream that would one day change country music forever.
Introduction: Some songs do more than just narrate—they hold our memories close and let us relive them. Merle Haggard’s “Hungry Eyes” stands as one of country music’s most poignant tributes.…