Merle Haggard 1937-2016

ROAD HISTORY

Country music legend Merle Haggard smiles during a news conference at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History in Washington Wednesday, May 28, 2003 where he and his sister Lillian Haggard Hoge donated belongings taken on their family's Dust Bowl-era move from Oklahoma to California on Route 66. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS HAGGARD

Country singer Merle Haggard, right, poses with composer Henry Mancini, center, and Lanie Kazan after being named top male vocalist and entertainer of the year at the 1970 6th Academy of Country Music Awards in Hollywood, Ca., March 22, 1971. (AP Photo)

Pat Nixon Birthday

Country music singer Merle Haggard, left, is greeted by President Richard Nixon and first lady Pat Nixon at the White House, where Haggard entertained the president and his wife on her birthday celebration, March 19, 1973. (AP Photo/Charles Tasnadi)

MERLE HAGGARD

Country singer Merle Haggard is shown at a news conference in New York City on April 6, 1974. (AP Photo)

CMA AWARDS HAGGARD

Merle Haggard performs at the Country Music Association Awards in Nashville, Tenn., in Oct. 1977. Haggard's song "From Graceland to the Promised Land" is nominated in the song of the year category. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

NASHVILLE MERLE HAGGARD

Country music star Merle Haggard, in Nashville, Tenn., Dec. 17, 1979. (AP Photo)

BARBECUE WITH THE PRESIDENT

With a Mexican mariachi band playing, singer Merle Haggard, center, is flanked by U.S. President Ronald Reagan and first lady Nancy Reagan, at a barbecue lunch at Rancho Sierra Grande, near Santa Ynez, Calif., on March 7, 1982. (AP Photo/Charles Tasnadi)

CMA AWARDS HAGGARD NELSON

Merle Haggard, left, and Willie Nelson accept their Duo of the Year award at the Country Music Association Awards in Nashville, Tenn., Oct. 10, 1983. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Merle Haggard

Country singer Merle Haggard points to the map in Los Angeles on Sept. 4, 1985 of the 8-state train trip he will begin on September 16 in Bakersfield, California, in response to the plight of the American family farmer. Traveling to Chicago on a train dubbed The American, Haggard will make a stop in Champaign, Ill., to participate in Willie Nelson's Farm Aid benefit. (AP Photo/Lennox McLendon)

Merle Haggard and Rodger Randle

Singer Merle Haggard stands with Senate President Pro Tempore, Rodger Randle (D-Tulsa), during a ceremony at an afternoon session of the Oklahoma Senate, in Oklahoma City, on February 4, 1986. The recording artist is being honored by the legislature as the state's favorite adopted son. (AP Photo/David Longstreath)

WYNETTE LIVING LEGEND

Tammy Wynette is presented with the living legend award by Merle Haggard at the TNN Music City News Country Awards in Nashville, Tenn. on June 10, 1991 (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

COUNTRY AWARDS

Pop singer Jewel performs with country music legend Merle Haggard at the Country Music Association Awards show in Nashville, Tenn., Wednesday, Sept. 22, 1999. (AP Photo/Michael S. Green)

COUNTRY AWARDS

Charlie Pride, right, receives his Country Music Hall of Fame plaque from Merle Haggard at the Country Music Association Awards show on Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2000 at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

ELECTRIC BARNYARD TOUR

Country music singers Merle Haggard, left, and Marty Stuart perform during a news conference Monday, June 2, 2003, in Oxford, Miss., held to announce their upcoming summer concert tour. The Electric Barnyard Tour is to open July 6 in Sierra Vista, Ariz. (AP Photo/Kevin Bain)

Willie Nelson

Willie Nelson, left, shakes hands with Merle Haggard while performing at the Aladdin Theater for the Performing Arts in Las Vegas on Saturday, March 10, 2007. (AP Photo/Laura Rauch)

Music Merle Haggard

Singer Merle Haggard is photographed at his ranch at Palo Cedro, Calif., Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2007. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

Music Bonnaroo

Merle Haggard performs during the Bonnaroo Arts and Music Festival in Manchester, Tenn., Sunday, June 14, 2009. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

2010 Stagecoach Music Festival - Day 1

Merle Haggard performs at the 2010 Stagecoach Music Festival at the Empire Polo Club on April 24, 2010 in Indio, California. (Photo by Paul A. Hebert/Invision/AP)

Kennedy Center Honors

Country singer Merle Haggard poses on the red carpet on arrival at a dinner held at the State Department honoring the recipients of the Kennedy Center Honors, in Washington, on Saturday, Dec. 4, 2010. The honorees are Haggard, Jerry Herman, Bill T. Jones, Paul McCartney, and Oprah Winfrey. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Music Merle Haggard

Merle Haggard views an exhibit on the Bakersfield sound at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tenn. on April 10, 2012 (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Music All for the Hall

Merle Haggard is interviewed backstage at the All for the Hall concert on Tuesday, April 10, 2012, in Nashville, Tenn. The concert is a benefit for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

Music All for the Hall

Merle Haggard, center, performs with Vince Gill, left, and Keith Urban, right, during the All for the Hall concert on Tuesday, April 10, 2012, in Nashville, Tenn. The concert is a benefit for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Athletics Angels Baseball

Singer Merle Haggard waves after tossing out the first pitch before a baseball game between the Los Angeles Angels and the Oakland Athletics in Anaheim, Calif., Thursday, April 11, 2013. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

49th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards - Show

Merle Haggard accepts the crystal milestone award at the 49th annual Academy of Country Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Sunday, April 6, 2014, in Las Vegas. (Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)

ACM Presents An All-Star Salute To The Troops

George Strait, left, and Merle Haggard perform at ACM Presents an All-Star Salute to the Troops on Monday, April 7, 2014, in Las Vegas. (Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)

Music Merle Haggard

Merle Haggard performs in concert at Harrah's Resort in Atlantic City, N.J. on May 3, 2014. At 77, he still tours around the country about two weeks. (Owen Sweeney/Invision/AP, File)

Merle Haggard In Concert - Atlanta

Merle Haggard performs at the Atlanta Symphony Hall on Friday, Jan. 23, 2015, in Atlanta. (Robb D. Cohen/Invision/AP)

2015 Stagecoach - Day 1

Merle Haggard performs on stage during the 2015 Stagecoach Festival at the Empire Club on Friday, April 24, 2015, in Indio, Calif. (Paul A. Hebert/Invision/AP)

2015 Big Barrel Country Music Festival Day 3 - Dover, Del

Singer-songwriter Merle Haggard arrives on Day 3 of the 2015 Big Barrel Country Music Festival at The Woodlands on Sunday, June 28, 2015, in Dover, Del. (Owen Sweeney/Invision/AP)

Riot Fest & Carnival - Day 2

Merle Haggard performs at Riot Fest & Carnival in Douglas Park in Chicago on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2015. (Barry Brecheisen/Invision/AP)