OldiesButGoodies

Country

Merle Haggard – A Friend In California

Merle Haggard – A Friend In California – CD (Album), 1986 [r7989235] | Discogs

Introduction:

“A Friend in California” is a country music song written by Freddy Powers and recorded by American country music artist Merle Haggard. It was released in May 1986 as the second single and title track from the album of the same name. The song reached number 9 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.

Haggard had a long and successful career in country music, spanning over six decades. He is considered one of the most influential and important figures in the genre. Haggard’s music often reflected his own life experiences, including his upbringing in poverty and his time in prison. He was known for his distinctive baritone voice and his songwriting ability.

“A Friend in California” is a classic country song about friendship and loss. The song tells the story of a man who travels to California to visit a friend who is dying of cancer. The friend tells the narrator about his life and regrets, and the narrator promises to keep his memory alive.

The song is a moving tribute to the power of friendship and the importance of cherishing loved ones. It is a timeless classic that continues to resonate with listeners today.

Video:

https://youtu.be/bhkEnYlPioQ?si=JBgg9Po33x4kwhnQ

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Merle Haggard’s childhood was becoming increasingly chaotic when something entered his life that would eventually change everything: a guitar. His older brother Lowell gave him one when Merle was around 12. Merle began teaching himself, absorbing the records and styles of country heroes such as Bob Wills, Lefty Frizzell and Hank Williams. There were no expensive lessons preparing him for Nashville. There was simply a troubled California kid listening closely and learning how another man’s sadness could live inside a melody. Merle would still make plenty of mistakes. Music didn’t instantly rescue him from running away, juvenile detention or eventually prison. But the guitar remained. Years later, millions would recognize Merle’s voice within seconds. Perhaps that’s because he wasn’t merely learning how to sing songs as a boy. He was slowly learning how to tell the truth about his own life.

Merle Haggard rarely needed to invent heartbreak. He had known it since childhood. In 1946, when Merle was only nine years old, his father, James Haggard, died following a stroke. For a boy who deeply needed his father’s presence, the loss became a turning point. His mother, Flossie, worked to support the family. Merle, meanwhile, became increasingly restless. He skipped school, ran away, got into trouble, and began a long journey through juvenile institutions that eventually led somewhere far darker. Looking back at his life, it is difficult not to see that nine-year-old boy behind many of the adult Merle Haggard’s songs. People later called him a rebel, an outlaw and a survivor. But before any of those labels existed, there was simply a grieving boy who had lost his dad—and never seemed to completely outrun that loss.

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