Happy Birthday, Merle Haggard

7 Apr 10

Tuesday (April 6) is Merle Haggard’s 73rd birthday. And while he celebrates the milestone, those of us who love country music should celebrate his life and the incredible body of songs, recordings and live performances the guy has provided through the years. One of the dictionary definitions of the word “artist” is “a professional person in any of the performing arts.” That description applies to just about anybody who has a record deal, but I prefer to think of a true artist in terms of another definition: “a person who does anything very well, with imagination and a feeling for form, effect, etc.” It’s that imagination and feeling for form and effect that separates Haggard from the vast majority of people who write songs, sing and play music. That’s not a slam on contemporary talent. In any generation, there’s usually only a handful of musicians who create the kind of true art that will be admired and discussed for generations to come. Haggard is one of those musicians, and we’re lucky to be living in a time when he’s still thriving. His new album, I Am What I Am, will be released on April 20, and I can’t wait to hear it. But Haggard didn’t become the artist he is by living in a vacuum. To get a sense of the music that inspired him, check out the music video for his version of Lefty Frizzell’s “If You’ve Got the Money, I’ve Got the Time” from his 2001 album, Roots, Vol. 1.

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