Merle Haggard

Merle Haggard was an American country singer-songwriter associated with the Bakersfield sound. His music combined honky-tonk and twangy electric guitar with plainspoken storytelling focused on working-class life and personal experience. Haggard's baritone voice and band arrangements emphasized a raw, country-rooted sound, and he remained an influential figure in country music until his death in 2016.