Mourning the Okie from Muskogee

Country music legend Merle Haggard died yesterday at the age of 70.

The “Poet of the Common Man” Merle Haggard has passed away at his home in California following a long battle with pneumonia. It was his 79th birthday. Over his forty-year career, Haggard wrote and performed about the rough and tumble country lifestyle and garnered respect for his true authenticity. Haggard became a member of the Country Music hall of fame member in 1994, and was recently on tour with fellow outlaw Willie Nelson.

Haggard’s funeral is scheduled for Saturday.