Merle Haggard Says His Family Wants Him to Quit Touring
Touring and Merle Haggard have been an interesting proposition lately, ever since he was diagnosed with a double pneumonia back in December. It’s been on again, and off again. As soon as you hear it’s on, he cancels a show last minute due to heath. Then when you hear he’s still recovering, all of a sudden he decides to play a few dates. This has left some fans confused and frustrated, and many concerned, especially since information has been scant, or at times misleading or downright wrong. A story will come out about how he’s feeling much better, and then the next day he will cancel a show. Then you’ll hear he’s not feeling well, but he’ll play a show anyway.
Part of the reason for the fluidity of the situation is Merle Haggard just really wants to tour. If he thinks there’s any chance he can play a show, he will give it a shot. After spending virtually his entire life on stage, it’s what he knows, and Merle has said it makes him feel better to get up on the stage and play . . . if he’s in good enough condition to do so. His friend Willie Nelson says he wants to die on stage. George Jones virtually did die on stage. Performing is what these country legends were put on the Earth to do, and to take that away from them could be more detrimental to their well being than anything, though the rigors of touring also puts their health in peril.
In the upcoming April/May edition of Garden & Gun magazine, writer Matt Hendrickson got the rare opportunity to spend some time with Merle at his property in Northern California near Redding, and during a visit by Sturgill Simpson. While talking to the two stars Hendrickson asks, “Merle, I thought your family was asking you to stop touring?”
Merle responds, “They want me to.”
Merle goes on to say, “I can’t. I feel it’s a double-edged sword. It’s what keeps me alive and it’s what fucks up my life. It’s hard to have a family, so I try and split it up. I try to build a life here of a reasonable sort, and then go and jump on the bus.”
Sturgill Simpson chimes in, “That’s interesting when you say that it’s what keeps you alive and what destroys your life at the same time. That’s been the biggest thing as far as the transitional aspect of this in my family’s life. It’s been the hardest part for me. Everything coincided around the same time, my son being born and then my record took off, and then I spent the first year of his life on the road, watching him grow through pictures. That was all a little bittersweet and hard to swallow some days.”
What Merle doesn’t say is if his recent health issues are the reason his family wants him to quit, or if they just want him to spend more time at home. Merle likely doesn’t need to tour for financial reasons.
Currently Merle has tour dates scheduled starting in the Midwest and Texas in April, through the South in May, in the upper Midwest in June, and up to the Pacific Northwest in July—about eight or nine dates a month.
“Everything is progressing normally,” says promoter Dwight Glenn in Springfield, IL where one of Merle’s first upcoming shows is scheduled for April 8th. “Right now, everything is looking good; his health is better. We have no reason to believe (Haggard) won’t be here on April 8. First and foremost our hope is for (Haggard’s) health, long-term. That’s more important than any given show.”
So the show goes on, and it all emphasizes how important it is to see these legends when you still have a chance. Because you never know when health or other concerns could sideline them for good.
March 23, 2016 @ 8:56 am
Just read that interview yesterday.
March 23, 2016 @ 9:02 am
Yeah, it was one of the best interviews I had read in a while. It’s really cool to see the friendship between Merle and Sturgill. One thing that struck me was that Merle said Sturgill is the only good country singer around these days. I wonder, has he heard Dale Watson, Whitey Morgan, Chris Stapleton, The Turnpike Troubadours, Jason Isbell, Wayne Hancock, or Jamey Johnson?
March 23, 2016 @ 9:18 am
Dale was opening for Merle around 2000.
March 23, 2016 @ 11:35 am
Thanks for the info. Dale’s heyday was in the 90’s and 00’s, maybe Merle doesn’t consider him a modern artist.
March 23, 2016 @ 8:57 am
Beautiful…
March 23, 2016 @ 8:59 am
Well, if Merle decides to stop touring, I’ll respect his decision. The man has earned the right to do it. Of course, it sounds like him and me both would like the show to go on(especially me- I haven’t seen him in concert yet).
March 23, 2016 @ 9:00 am
May Merle live forever. My heroes are leaving this world too soon. I caint fathom a day w/o Merle,Willie,& FL GA Line…….
March 23, 2016 @ 9:56 am
What is the ultimate source of the name Florida Georgia Line?
They don’t seem to acknowledge the link to Lynyrd Skynyrd’s ‘Four Walls of Raiford’.
Not that I care. Even if they know who Skynyrd is its probably only filtered through Kid Rock. Just like Pamela Anderson’s Hep C.
March 23, 2016 @ 11:32 am
I dunno. One of them is from Florida and one is from Georgia, so it is probably as simple as that. Neither of them are from anywhere near the actual border between the states, a region that we refer to as “SoGa NoFla” here in GA. Apparently they met while attending college in Nashville. They were part of a campus worship group. Gosh….
Also thank you wikipedia.
March 23, 2016 @ 10:16 am
That was a great interview. A lot to take away from it in terms of where country music has been, where it is right now, and what makes good music. I liked both Hag’s and Sturgill’s thoughts on the writing and recording process. They really stand in contrast with what’s going on today on Music Row.
Oh, and touring across America with Dolly Parton in 1974-75? Any chance I can still sign up for that gig?
March 23, 2016 @ 6:01 pm
That last line of the article really hit me. I skipped seeing Kristofferson play an acoustic show in country South Australia a couple years back..really should have went!
March 23, 2016 @ 7:39 pm
Kind of get the feeling he won’t stop until he’s dead and gone.
March 23, 2016 @ 8:04 pm
Hey Trig the April 8th show is in Springfield Missouri, not Illinois. I will be going to it, and I’m very excited to see him and Willie! At 17 I’ll probably be ome of the youngest people there.
March 26, 2016 @ 8:18 pm
I was walking down Broadway in Nashville last week and I heard this incredible voice that sounded just like Merle. So I stepped inside Legends and low and behold it was Merle’s son Marty sitting in with a band. Had a quick conversation with him, very nice guy, love the Hag !!..and his son.