OldiesButGoodies

Country

“My dad told us he was going to leave this world on his birthday — and he was right.” The heartbroken son of California country legend Merle Haggard shared how his father somehow knew the exact day he would pass, leaving behind a legacy as timeless as his music.

Merle Haggard's son Ben reveals his father predicted day of his death | Daily Mail Online

Introduction:

The grief-stricken son of country singer Merle Haggard, who died aged 79 on Wednesday, has revealed his father predicted that he would die on his birthday.

In a touching Instagram post, Ben Haggard, 23, wrote: ‘A week ago dad told us he was gonna pass on his birthday, and he wasn’t wrong.

‘A hour ago he took his last breath surrounded by family and friends. He loved everything about life and he loved that everyone of you gave him a chance with his music.

‘He wasn’t just a country singer… he was the best country singer that ever lived.’

The words were accompanied by a black-and-white photograph of father and son holding hands.

Merle Haggard's Son: 'Dad Told Us He Was Gonna Pass on His Birthday'

Ben was the guitarist in his father’s band, The Strangers.

Shortly afterwards, he shared a touching photo of himself as a child with his father. It was captioned: ‘Something you never get over.’

Stars including his long-term friend and collaborator, Willie Nelson, rushed to pay tribute after Haggard’s manager confirmed the news of his passing.

The death came just a few days after the singer cancelled his April concert dates after suffering from a recurring bout of double pneumonia.

He had a battle with lung cancer in 2008 – having part of a lung removed – but despite illness and his advancing age kept up an ambitious touring schedule.

Indeed, his 2015 tour schedule saw him perform in over 30 cities.

Amongst those paying to tribute was his close friend and collaborator Nelson, who said: ‘He was my brother, my friend. I will miss him.’

Stars including Carrie Underwood, Cassadee Pope, Dierks Bentley and Hillary Scott also shared their condolences.

A masterful guitarist, fiddler and songwriter as well as singer, Haggard recorded for more than 40 years, releasing dozens of albums and No. 1 hits.

Merle Haggard's son Ben reveals his father predicted day of his death | Daily Mail Online

The Country Music Hall of Famer’s repertoire included songs with traditional country music themes such as drinking and heartache but he also infused them with more insight and tenderness than most honky-tonkers. He also broadened the genre by writing about poverty, loneliness and social issues.

Video:

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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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