A haunting outlaw ballad waited years for its breakthrough, and the story behind the hit is nearly as memorable as the song.

In 1982, George Jones and Merle Haggard released a song that was a cover of one that Willie Nelson wrote and released in 1971 ...

Merle Haggard's "Mama Tried" was ranked No. 9 on Rolling Stone's most recent listing of the 200 Greatest Country Songs of All Time. Written in 1968, the song remains a timeless classic that ...

In 1982, Merle Haggard had a No. 1 single with "Big City", a song he wrote with his bus driver and close friend.

Before “Okie From Muskogee” became his signature song and before “If We Make It Through December” became his biggest crossover hit, Merle Haggard’s best-known song was the one where he came clean ...

Willie Nelson is releasing "Workin' Man: Willie Sings Merle," his 78th solo album, as a tribute to Merle Haggard. The new album features 11 covers of Haggard's songs, including "Workin’ Man Blues" and ...

Country legend Merle Haggard, often called “the Poet of the Common Man,” whose music reflected his hardscrabble roots and hard-living ways as well as a tenderness that made him a revered songwriter, ...

Longtime Shasta County residents may recollect an up-and-coming young Dolly Parton when she performed for Redding audiences ...

Merle Haggard's "Mama Tried" was ranked No. 9 on Rolling Stone's most recent listing of the 200 Greatest Country Songs of All Time. Written in 1968, the song remains a timeless classic that ...