During his lifetime, Merle Haggard solidified country music as a genre for the blue-collar masses. His gift for honest storytelling connected with fans over five decades. Hits like “The Fightin’ Side of Me,” “Working Man Blues” and “Mama Tried” made him a champion of the working class. But he was just as lyrically talented with songs of the heart like “If We Make It Through December” and “Silver Wings.”
Haggard’s musical contributions earned him a Kennedy Center Honor, induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and numerous industry awards. While he passed away earlier this year, RFD-TV is proud to remember his music and his life with a special four-part series on “Country’s Family Reunion” This Friday’s episode features songs and stories from three of Merle’s sons, Noel, Ben and Marty, along with The Isaacs, Mark Wills, David Frizzell, Ronnie Reno, Mac Wiseman, Bill Anderson and more.
Part Two this four-part tribute airs on Friday, November 18, 2016: 8 PM ET | 7 PM CT | 6 PM MT | 5 PM PT.