Merle Haggard Passes: Legendary singer, songwriter, musician and member of the Nashville Songwriters and Country Music Halls of Fame Merle Haggard has died in hospice care after battling pneumonia. He turned 79 today (4/6). A leading figure of the famed "Bakersfield Sound" and one of the most influential artists in country music history, Haggard has spent significant time in the hospital in recent months causing the cancellation of multiple tour dates.

A fatherless upbringing from the age of nine just north of Bakersfield included near poverty and led to multiple run-ins with the law, a stint at San Quentin State Prison, lifelong personal battles and one of the most celebrated careers in all of music. Haggard's hits spanned three decades and included "Swingin' Doors," "The Bottle Let Me Down," "I'm A Lonesome Fugitive," "Sing Me Back Home," "Okie From Muskogee," "The Fightin' Side Of Me," "If We Make It Through December," "That's The Way Love Goes," "Footlights," "My Favorite Memory," "Are The Good Times Really Over (I Wish A Buck Was Still Silver)," "Twinkle, Twinkle Lucky Star" and many more. All told, Haggard recorded more than 70 albums and more than 600 songs. He wrote nearly half of them himself and saw 40 reach No. 1. Arrangements are pending.