American Songwriter

On This Day in 1966, Merle Haggard Recorded His First No. 1 Single “I’m a Lonesome Fugitive”

On this day (August 1) in 1966, Merle Haggard recorded “The Fugitive” at the Capitol Recording Studio in Hollywood, California. The song would go on to be Haggard’s first No. 1 single and the ...
The Press of Atlantic City

'Lonesome Fugitive' Merle Haggard comes to Golden Nugget Saturday

WHO IS HE: Merle Haggard is country music legend, famous for creating the Bakersfield sound along with his band The Strangers. He began gaining success in the mid 1960s with hits such as “(My Friends ...
American Songwriter

On This Day in 1969, Merle Haggard Released a Song That Arguably Was a Better Tribute to Oklahomans Than “Okie From Muskogee”

If songs like “I’m a Lonesome Fugitive” painted Merle Haggard as a troubled, steel-nerved poet for the Everyman, then songs like “Okie from Muskogee” and “Fightin’ Side of Me” were songs that added an ...
Indy Week

Merle Haggard

It’s not surprising that Merle Haggard’s music helped set the stage for outlaw country. He was a convicted felon who served three years at San Quentin for burglary. Released in 1960, he was fully ...