REDDING, Calif., April 6 (UPI) — Country music icon Merle Haggard is dead after reportedly experiencing a bout of pneumonia. His death occurred on his 79th birthday Wednesday morning.
The singer-songwriter and member of the Outlaw Country movement and pioneer of the Bakersfield sound is said to have died at his home near Redding, Calif., according to TMZ.
His manager told the outlet he had been battling pneumonia for some time, having spent 11 days in the hospital earlier this year. The singer, who recently released a joint album with singer Willie Nelson titled Django and Jimmie, had canceled most of his shows for the rest of 2016 in order to recover.
Haggard’s “Mama Tried,” was recently chosen for preservation in the National Recording Registry alongside American favorites like Billy Joel’s “Piano Man” and Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive.”
