Merle Ronald Haggard was an American country music singer, songwriter, guitarist, and fiddler who was born on April 6, 1937, and died on April 6, 2016.

Merle Haggard parents: Meet James Francis Haggard, Flossie Mae Harp

Flossie Mae, whose maiden name was Harp; James Francis Haggard (born 1899–1946) and After their barn burned down in 1934, the family relocated to California from Checotah, Oklahoma, during the Great Depression.

While James began working for the Santa Fe Railroad, they moved into a Bakersfield apartment with their two older children, James “Lowell” (1922–1996) and Lillian. A woman who owned a boxcar in Oildale, a nearby town, inquired about the possibility of converting it into a home for Haggard’s father.

Merle Ronald Haggard was born on April 6, 1937, on the lot where he remodeled the boxcar and moved in shortly after. In the end, a bathroom, a second bedroom, a kitchen, and a breakfast nook were added to the property on the lot next to it.

A brain hemorrhage claimed the life of Haggard’s father in 1946. Haggard, then nine years old, was profoundly affected by the loss, which shaped his entire life. Haggard’s mother took a job as a bookkeeper to help the family.

When Merle was 12 years old, his older brother Lowell gave him his guitar. Haggard, who was influenced by Hank Williams, Lefty Frizzell, and Bob Wills, learned to play it on his own, using the records he had at home.

Haggard began getting into trouble while his mother worked during the day. She tried to correct him by sending him to a juvenile detention facility for a weekend, but his behavior did not change. He actually deteriorated.

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