Merle Haggard Hospitalized with Pneumonia
This story has been updated (see below).
78-year-old country legend Merle Haggard is currently in a California hospital suffering from pneumonia. Haggard was forced to cancel some recent tour dates due to his illness, and checked himself in for treatment. His show last night (12-2) at the McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert, California was cancelled, as was tonight’s (12-3) show at the Fox Performing Arts Center in Riverside, California, Friday’s show (12-4) at the Paramount Theatre in Oakland, and Saturday’s show in Wendover, Nevada.
However they are hoping Haggard gets better quickly, and will be able to play his remaining December dates starting with the December 7th and 8th shows at the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas, and Dec. 9th in Beverley Hills. The date at the McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert has already be rescheduled for February 8th. Merle is expected to recover, but in his advanced age, all precautions are being taken.
Haggard has been through medical scares in the past, and persevered with quick turnarounds. Merle was diagnosed with lung Cancer in May of 2008, and had surgery to remove part of the upper lobe of his right lung that had a lemon-sized tumor growing on it. Less than two months later he was playing shows at The Crystal Palace in Bakersfield.
Merle also was forced to cancel some tour dates in October after tour partner Willie Nelson decided to have stem cell surgery to hopefully help his own ailing lungs.
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UPDATE (12-7): Merle Haggard has now cancelled ALL tour dates in December due to his continued issues with pneumonia.
However he did post a photo today saying, “This picture speaks for itself on how I’m doing. Hope to see you all soon!“
READ: 10 Badass Merle Haggard Moments
Stay tuned for more information on Merle’s condition as details are made available.
December 3, 2015 @ 9:31 pm
Oh my God……, get well soon Hag! I had the privilege of going with family to see him 2 years ago with the Malpass Brothers. I was definitely the youngest guy in the room, but oh man was it a hell of a show! I think he played about 23 songs. It was the first moment in my young life where I questioned, “what the hell am I listening to and why am I not listening to more of THIS?” (My taste in music was horrible, don’t even ask). Anyway, considering Hag is one of the only guys left who isn’t afraid to speak his mind, (meaning, he’s a gatekeeper in a sense) we definitely need the guy around. Hope he gets better 🙁
December 3, 2015 @ 10:30 pm
I hope he gets better.
I’m glad I got to see Haggard and Cash and Willie and Waylon several times in the ’90s, when they still had quite a bit left in the tank.
I wonder about Haggard and Nelson continuing to perform today, when they’re quite old and seemingly infirm. I’d probably stick with the memories and not go to see them again.
December 4, 2015 @ 4:59 am
I have been lucky enough to see Merle many times. I first heard “sing me back home” while in the military.
Last time I saw him was just one year ago, if he was playing today, within 100 miles l would be there.
Merle can decide when he’s done.
December 3, 2015 @ 10:49 pm
Get well Hag country music desperately needs you!
December 3, 2015 @ 11:06 pm
why do I get the feeling that somewhere Blake Shelton is smiling right now? get well soon Mr. Haggard
December 4, 2015 @ 8:32 am
No he’s not. I’m going to go out on a limb and say that Blake is a jerk, but not a monster.
December 4, 2015 @ 2:16 pm
first listen to “Boys ‘Round Here” and “Gonna” back to back THEN tell me Blake’s not a monster! regardless the former was just a joke in poor taste considering how Blake feels about the “old farts” who diss his precious rapping!
December 3, 2015 @ 11:27 pm
Praying the Hag gets better. I had my tix to see him tonight in Riverside. I don’t care if the dates are made up. Just hoping he has a speedy recover.
December 4, 2015 @ 12:33 am
Oh no! (sends healing wishes) =(
December 4, 2015 @ 2:53 am
Merle Haggard is a talented singer. I wish him well, and just a few hours ago, I managed to see David Allan Coe perform some of his songs and other people’s songs. The song he opened with was Merle’s Rambling Fever, and although it was probably just a coincidence, it made me think of Merle and how David and him can sing in similar styles sometimes.
December 4, 2015 @ 6:40 am
also, they tell him he looks like Merle Haggard. 🙂
December 5, 2015 @ 12:40 am
but sounds a lot like himself.
Go figure.
December 4, 2015 @ 6:46 am
Hope he gets well soon. It is amazing that he’s still able to tour and perform as much as he does. Dude is tough as nails.
December 4, 2015 @ 8:35 am
Oh yeah. He escaped from jail 17 times before becoming a singer. It was just for robbery. He never hurt anybody.
December 5, 2015 @ 12:44 am
And he chopped down a cherry tree. And had blue ox named “Babe.” And slew a thousand Philistines with the jawbone of an ass.
December 4, 2015 @ 8:06 am
Wishing him well. I’ve never seen Merle live, and I’d really like to. I’ll definitely look into it after I see Willie in February.
And Trig, (I know it’s off-topic, but I saw something about it a comment from a while back and it got me wondering) what did you think of Bob Wayne’s new album, “Hits the Hits?” I know you’ve said before you hate cover albums, but I was wondering if BW’s fit the rule or was an exception.
December 4, 2015 @ 11:08 am
I’ve only scanned that particular record. I’d like to feature the new Christmas album Bob Wayne did in the style of Black Sabbath, but none of his peeps will email me back from my requests for liner notes and such. Covering independent music is becoming harder and harder by the minute. The artists and their managers won’t communicate with you, you set up interviews and they blow you off (that’s why I decided to stop doing interviews completely), you can’t obtain the materials you need, many of them won’t work with sites like SCM anymore because they want to use what they perceive as bigger sites like Rolling Stone Country, so they basically just ignore you, and you don’t have the information you need to do your job.
Folks wonder why I cover so much mainstream music on here. It’s because I can actually get access to the music and information. Emailed three separate people about the new Bob Wayne Christmas album. Nothing. And an album like that, it’s pretty essential to have the liner notes for. So I move on.
Rant over.
December 4, 2015 @ 10:28 am
Get well soon, Merle Haggard. The recent Kenny Rogers story and this remind me to ask who all else in the world of country music who is 75+ is still actively performing ?
December 4, 2015 @ 10:33 am
You’d be surprised. That might be a good list to compile. Don Maddox is 93 and still performing. Ralph Stanley, Jesse McReynolds, Red Simpson. Oh, I just remembered I put this article together earlier this year:
https://savingcountrymusic.com/the-oldest-living-links-to-country-musics-golden-past
December 4, 2015 @ 12:35 pm
Thanks. That’s exactly the sort of article I figured was on here somewhere, but I had not found it.
December 4, 2015 @ 3:11 pm
Here’s hoping he bounces back. Take care of yourself, Hag.
December 5, 2015 @ 10:48 pm
Get well Merle Haggard! I am praying for you!
December 9, 2015 @ 6:48 am
Take care of those lungs Merle, so glad you are on the mend. Prayers to you from a fan in Alberta Canada.