Hallo,
eine Disco ..... das wird schwer!
Ich habe etwas auf einen Nachruf von Dieter (Quelle???) und eine Disco von praguefrank geschielt .............
Mit Merle Ronald Haggard (* 06. April 1937, +06. April 2016) verstarb eine der Größen der Country Music der 60 er bis 80 er Jahre. Der Sänger, Songwriter und Instrumentalist aus Bakersfield war vor seiner Karriere allerdings ein ziemlich schlimmer Finger, der sein Heil durch die Musik fand. Als sein Vater James Francis Haggard 1945 verstarb, verlor er den Halt und saß schon 1950 wegen Diebstahls in einem Jugendgefängnis. 1951 wurde er in Texas wegen eines Raubüberfalls angeklagt und inhaftiert.
Ab Anfang der 50 er Jahre interessierte er sich für die Musik und sein Idol war Lefty Frizzell, mit welchem er sogar 1953 auftreten durfte. Er war auch 1956 in der TV-Show “Chuck Wagon“ zu sehen und zu hören. Wieder bei einem Raubüberfall auf eine Raststätte erwischt, saß er im 1957 in San Quentin für knapp drei Jahre bis 1960 ein. Er spielte in der Gefängnisband und traf auf Johnny Cash, der ihn bei seinem Konzert in San Quentin am 01. Januar 1958 schwer beeindruckte.
Nach seiner Entlassung spielte er in einem Club in Bakersfield und freundete sich mit Charles "Fuzzy" Owen an, der die kleine Plattenfirma Tally Records mit seinem Cousin Lewis Talley betrieb und später sein Manager wurde. Im Jahr 1962 kam er bei Tally Records unter, wo Lieder wie “Skid Row“ (T 152) bis 1964 auf fünf Singles erschienen.
TALLY (1962-64, masters purchased by Capitol)
T 152 Singin' My Heart Out / Skid Row - 62
Nach einem Besuch bei Wynn Stewart in Las Vegas holte er sich dessen Okay für die weitere frühe Aufnahme “Sing A Sad Song“ (Tally T 155), die sich zum Top 20-Country-Hit entwickelte.
TALLY
T 155 Sing A Sad Song / You Don't Even Try - 11-63
T 178 Sam Hill / You Don't Have Far To Go - 04-64
T 179 (All My Friends Are Gonna Be) Strangers / Please Mr. D.J. - 08-64
T 181 Just Between The Two Of Us / Slowly But Surely - 09-64 w. Bonnie Owens
Nachdem 1964 auch “Strangers“ (T 179 August 1964) ein Top 10-Hit wurde, war der harte Kerl mit dem Engelsgesicht nach sieben Jahren Gefängniserfahrung auf dem richtigen Weg angekommen.
1965 hatte er seine eigene Band, The Strangers, zusammengestellt und war zu Capitol Records gewechselt.
CAPITOL (1965-77)
5460 I'm Gonna Break Every Heart I Can / Falling For You - 08-65
5523 Shade Tree (Fix It Man) / This Town's Not Big Enough - 11-65
5600 Swinging Doors / The Girl Turned Ripe - 28-02-66 (rev. March 3)
5704 The Bottle Let Me Down / The Longer You Wait - 01-08-66 (rev. Aug. 6)
5803 I'm A Lonesome Fugitive / Someone Told My Story - 06-12-66 (rev. Dec. 3)
1966 folgte der erste # 1-Hit “I’m A Lonesome Fugitive“ (Capitol 5803 Dezember 1966), dem 1967/68 einige weitere Top-Positionen in den Country-Charts folgten.
CAPITOL
5844 I Threw Away The Rose / Loneliness Is Eating Me Alive - 02-67 (rev. Feb. 25)
5931 Branded Man / You Don't Have Very Far To Go - 06-67 (rev. June 17)
2017 Sing Me Back Home / Good Times - 23-10-67 (rev. Oct. 28)
6113 Swinging Doors / The Girl Turned Ripe – 68 (Capitol Starline)
6114 The Longer You Wait / The Bottle Let Me Down - 68 (Capitol Starline)
2123 The Legend Of Bonnie And Clyde / I Started Loving You Again - 02-68 (rev. Feb. 24)
2219 Mama Tried / You'll Never Love Me Now - 06-68 (rev. July 6)
2289 I Take A Lot Of Pride In What I Am / Keep Me From Cryin' Today - 14-10-68 (rev. Oct. 19)
2383 Hungry Eyes / California Blues - 27-01-69 (rev. Feb. 1)
2503 Silver Wings / Workin' Man Blues - 06-69 (rev. June 21)
2626 Okie From Muskogee / If I Had Left It Up To You - 15-09-69 (rev. Sept. 20)
Seine neue Hymne wurde ab September 1969 “Okie From Muskogee“ (Capitol 2626), welches von den Konservativen als toll empfunden wurde, während die Liberalen auf die Barrikaden gingen und den Dumpf-Text eines ungebildeten Okies über die LSD nehmenden Hippies scharf verurteilten. Man kann den Song mit dem Polarisieren eines heutigen Donald Trump durchaus vergleichen.
CAPITOL
2719 The Fightin' Side Of Me / Every Fool Has A Rainbow - 26-01-70
2778 Mexican Rose / Street Singer - 04-70
2838 Reason To Quit / Jesus Take A Hold - 05-70 (rev. May 23)
6141 The Legend Of Bonnie And Clyde / Sing Me Back Home - 70 (Capitol Starline)
6142 I Take A Lot Of Pride In What I Am / Mama Tried - 70 (Capitol Starline)
6143 Workin' Man Blues / Hungry Eyes - 70 (Capitol Starline)
6144 I'm A Lonesome Fugitive / Branded Man - 70 (Capitol Starline)
2891 The Sidewalks Of Chicago / I Can't Be Myself - 14-09-70 (rev. Sept. 19)
3024 Farmer's Daughter / Soldier's Last Letter - 27-01-71 (rev. Jan. 30)
3112 Someday We'll Look Back / It's Great To Be Alive - 01-06-71
3198 Daddy Frank (The Guitar Man) / My Heart Would Know - 27-09-71
3222 Carolyn / When The Feelin's Gone Away - 11-71 (rev. Nov. 20)
3294 Grandma Harp / Turning Off A Memory - 02-72
6172 The Fightin' Side Of Me / Today I Sterted Loving You Again - 72 (Capitol Starline)
6173 Okie From Muskogee / Daddy Frank (The Guitar Man) - 72 (Capitol Starline)
3376 I'm A White Boy / A Shoulder To Cry On - 06-72
3419 It's Not Love (But It's Not Bad) / My Woman Keeps Lovin' Her Man - 08-72 (rev. Aug. 19)
3488 I Wonder If They Ever Think Of Me / I Forget You Every Day - 20-11-72
3552 The Empties Arms In The World / The Radiator Man From Wasco - 19-02-73 (rev. March 10)
3641 Everybody's Had The Blues / Nobody Knows I'm Hurtin' - 06-73 (rev. June 23)
3746 If We Make It Through December / Baby Want Puppy For Christmas - 10-73 (rev. Oct. 13)
3830 Things Ain't Funny Anymore / Honky Tonk Night Time Man - 11-02-74 (re. Feb. 16)
3900 Old Man From The Mountains / Holding Things Together - 03-06-74 (rev. June 15)
3974 Kentucky Gambler / I’ve Got A Darlin‘ (For A Wife) - 10-74
3989 Santa Claus And Popcorn / If We Make It Through December - 11-74
4027 Always Wanting You / I've Got A Yearning - 03-02-75
4085 Movin' On / Here In Frisco - 12-05-75
4141 It's All In The Movies / Living With The Shades - 09-75
4204 The Roots Of My Raising / The Way It Was In '51 – 12-01-76
4267 Freedom Train / I Won't Give Up My Train - 17-05-76
4326 Cherokee Maiden / What Have You Got Planned Tonight, Diana? - 23-08-76
4477 A Workin' Man Can’t Get Nowhere Today / Blues Stay Away From Me - 16-08-77
4525 The Running Kind / Making Believe - 12-77
4636 The Way It Was In '51 / Moanin' The Blues - 09-78
A-6272 The Way It Was In '51 / Silver Wings - 81 (reissue)
Bis 1977 war er bei Capitol, bevor er zu MCA, Epic, Curb und Vanguard (?) wechselte.
MCA (1977-80)
MCA-40700 If You're Not Back In Monday / I Think It's Gone Forever - 02-04-77
MCA-40743 Ramblin' Fever / When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again - 02-07-77
MCA-40804 From Graceland To The Promised Land / Are You Lonesome Tonight? - 08-10-77
MCA-40869 I'm Always On A Mountain When I Fall / Life Of A Rodeo Cowboy – 23-02-78
MCA-40936 It's Been A Great Afternoon / Love Me When You Can – 23-07-78
MCA-40962 The Bull And The Beaver / I'm Gettin' High - 28-10-78 (w. Leona Williams)
MCA-40990 Red Bandana / Driftwood - unissued
MCA-41007 Red Bandana / I Must Have Done Something Bad – 28-03-79
MCA-41112 My Kind Of Hat / Heaven Was A Drink Of Wine - 15-09-79
MCA-41168 The Fightin' Side Of Me / If We Make It Through December - 12-79
MCA-41200 The Way I Am / Wake Up – 25-02-80
E 46634 Bar Room Buddies (w. Clint Eastwood) / (Clint Eastwood: ) The Not So Great Train Robbery – 21-04-80 (soundtrack recordings, released on Elektra)
MCA-41255 Misery And Gin / No One To Sing For But The Band – 16-06-80
MCA-51014 I Think I'll Just Stay At Home And Drink / Back To The Barrooms Again - 25-10-80
MCA-51048 Leonard / Our Path May Never Cross - 14-02-81
MCA-51120 Rainbow Stew / Blue Yodel No.9 (Standing On The Corner) – 18-05-81 (live)
MCA-52020 Dealing With The Devil / Fiddle Breakdown - 17-04-82 (live)
MCA-52276 It's All In The Game / New Cocain Blues – 09-09-83
MCA-52595 Make Up And Faded Blue Jeans / Love Me When You Can - 15-06-85
MCA-53537 I Think I'll Just Stay Here And Drink / The Way I Am - 89 (MCA Double Play series)
MCA-53538 Rainbow Stew / Misery And Gin - 89 (MCA Double Play series)
MCA-53570 It's Been A Great Afternoon / I'm Always On A Mountain - 89 (MCA Double Play series)
MCA-53571 Ramblin' Fever / If You're Not Back In Monday – 89 (MCA Double Play series)
EPIC (1981-89)
19-51012 I Can' Hold Myself In Line (w. Johnny Paycheck] / (Johnny Paycheck:) Carolyn - 03-81
WBS 49778 Lefty / (David Frizzell

Three Blind Hearts - 05-09-81 (released on Warner Brothers)
14-02504 My Favorite Melody / Texas Fiddle Song - 19-09-81
14-02686 Big City / Think I'm Gonna Live Forever - 16-12-81
14-02894 Are The Good Times Really Over? / I Always Get Lucky With You - 15-05-82
14-03072 Yesterday's Wine / I Haven't Found Her Yet - 07-08-82 w. George Jones
15-03098 Big City / My Favorite Memory - ca. 08-82 (reissue)
34-03315 Goin' Where The Lonely Go / Some Day You're Going To Need Your Friends – 30-09-82
14-03406 Goin' Home For Christmas / If We Make It Through December - 11-82
14-03405 C.C.Waterback / After I Sing All My Songs - 04-12-82 w. George Jones
34-03494 Reasons To Quit / Half A Man – 16-12-82 w. Willie Nelson
34-03723 You Take Me For Granted / I Won't Give Up My Train - 12-03-83
34-03842 Pancho And Lefty / Opportunity To Cry - 30-04-83 w. Willie Nelson
812 214-7 We're Strangers Again / Sally Let Your Bangs Hang Down - 28-05-83 w. Leona Williams (released on Mercury)
34-04006 What Am I Gonna Do (With The Rest Of My Life)? / I Think I'll Stay – 21-06-83
814 359-7 Waitin' For The Good Life To Come / Waltz Across Texas - 09-83 w. Leona Williams (released on Mercury)
34-04226 That's The Way Love Goes / Don't Seem Like We've Been Together All Our Lives - 19-11-83
34-04402 Someday When Things Are Good / If You Hated Me - 24-03-84
34-04512 Let's Chase Each Other Around The Room / You Nearly Lose Your Mind - 14-07-84
880 139-7 It's Cold In California / Don’t Ever Let Your Lover Sleep Alone - 07-84 w. Leona Williams (released on Mercury)
34-04663 A Place To Fall Apart / All I Want To Do Is Singing My Songs - 27-10-84
34-04830 Natural High / I Never Go Home Anymore - 16-03-85
34-05426 Kern River / Old Watermill - 06-07-85
15-05512 Going Where The Lonely Go / Are The Good Times Really Over? - ca.08-85 (reissue)
15-05517 You Take Me For Granted / What Am I Gonna Do - ca. 08-85 (reissue)
38-05575 Two Old Cat Like Us (w. Ray Charles) / (Ray Charles:) Little Hotel Room - ca. 08-85 (released on Columbia)
34-05659 Amber Waves Of Grain / I Wish Things Were Simple Again - 05-10-85
34-05734 Amercian Waltz / The Farmer's Daughter - 14-12-85
34-05782 I Had A Beautiful Time / This Time I Really Do - 25-01-86
34-06097 A Friend In California / Mama's Prayers - 31-05-86
34-06344 Out Among The Stars / Susie - 18-09-86
34-07036 Almost Persuaded / Love Don't Every Time - 18-04-87
34-07400 If I Could Only Fly (w. Willie Nelson) / Without You On My Side - 08-87
34-07631 Twinkle, Twinkle, Lucky Star / I Don't Have Any Love Around - 21-11-87
Bis 1987 schaffte Merle Haggard 23 #1-Hits in den Country-Charts, womit er also zumindest den Nerv der Hörer positiv traf.
EPIC
34-07754 Chill Factor / Thanking The Good Lord - 19-03-88
34-07944 We Never Touch At All / Man From Another Time - 09-07-88
34-08111 You Babe / Thirty Again - 19-11-88
15-08460 Natural High / Kern River - 89 (reissue)
34-68598 5:01 Blues / Man From Another Time - 08-04-89
34-68979 Better Love Next Time / Losin' In Las Vegas - 22-07-89
34-73076 If You Want To Be My Woman / Someday We'll Know - 02-12-89
34-73303 Broken Friend / Wouldn't That Be Something - 03-90
CURB (1990-95)
NR-76832 When It Rains, It Pours / Me And Crippled Soldiers - 01-09-90
NR-76846 Blue Jungle / Me And Crippled Soldiers - 90
NR-76854 Lucky Old Colorado / A Bar In Bakersfield - 91
CAPITOL (1996)
S7-19346 White Christmas / Silver Bells - 11-96
BNA (1999)
65895-7 That's The Way Love Goes / Silver Wings - 08-99 w. Jewel
EPITAPH (2000)
86594-4S1 Bareback / Wishing All These Old Thing Were New – 00
Im Oktober 2011 kam sein letztes Solo-Album “Working in Tennessee“ (Vanguard) heraus, dem 2015 eine Platzierung auf # 7 der Alben-Charts mit dem Duett-Album “Django And Jimmie“ mit Willie Nelson folgte. Der an Lungenkrebs erkrankte Raucher und Drogenkonsument verstarb schließlich punktgenau auf seinem 79. Geburtstag.
Gruß
Heino