Merle was looking haggard for years.
I loved his earlier stuff, the latter not so much
In concert, he was either stoned or just dismissive of the audience. As for Oakie from Muskogee, Merle later said he wrote it to make fun of unhip.
Merle once said that Muskogee was the only place he didn't smoke marijuana.
Dismissive? What a bunch of crap, he was great to his audience. I’ve seen him live 6 times over the course of 30 years, he was always great and never stoned. Well, not that you’d notice anyway.
Thanks for the good times and memories, Merle.
Spoke with a guy who saw him hast year in NW Arkansas. He said after three songs he said “It’s too damned hot out here” and walked off the stage. His son finished the show.
I'd read that many years ago. It's sad that the song adopted by "square" Middle America as its anthem was in fact written to lampoon them.
I can't help but wonder if The Fightin' Side of Me was in the same spirit. Way back then I certainly assumed he meant it straight. But now I just don't know.
Back in the 80s or 90s when flag burning was a big issue he came out with a song against it. Surely that couldn't have been a rib?
I'll never understand why he was a lefty.
In the last few years he looked like he had some symptoms of Parkinson which would make pneumonia and complications a higher risk for him. As for Okie? LOL Charlie Daniels one of the most conservative artist out there wrote several spoofs. CDB earliest hit was Uneasy Rider a barroom brawl between a hippie and rednecks.
I liked his earlier stuff better also recorded with The Strangers but I also liked "Are the good times really over for good" as the best among his later.