Goodbye, Merle: It wasn't just talent -- it was authenticity that made him a legend

America lost one of its truly great voices this week with the passing of country music icon Merle Haggard.

Unlike most of today's so-called country music stars, Haggard lived the life he sang about and carried that background with him in his music.

Born dirt poor, he lost his father at the age of 9 and had to resort to petty larceny to help his family make ends meet.

That led to other stints in jail and his outlaw image, which he never shrank from.

He rose to fame with the legendary tune "Okie From Muskogee" and added a long string of ballads to that standard.

He actually had a Wayne County connection. The talented Malpass Brothers from Wayne performed with him on occasion and said that he had passed the "outlaw" stage and had mellowed in his old age.

We, like millions of other Americans, will miss him and his honest voice.

Published in Editorials on April 8, 2016 10:52 AM