<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div><span></span></div><div><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><div><span></span></div><div><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><div><span></span></div><div><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><div><span></span></div><div><div>Courtesy of CNN at:</div><div><br></div><div><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/06/entertainment/merle-haggard-country-music-dies/index.html">http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/06/entertainment/merle-haggard-country-music-dies/index.html</a></div><div><br></div><div>--------------------------------</div><div><div class="el__leafmedia el__leafmedia--sourced-paragraph" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><h1 class="pg-headline" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 4.13333rem; margin: 10px 0px; font-family: CNN, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, Utkal, sans-serif; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; padding: 0px; font-weight: 300; line-height: 1.06452; color: rgb(38, 38, 38); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;">Merle Haggard of country music dies</h1><div class="el__leafmedia el__leafmedia--sourced-paragraph" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><p class="zn-body__paragraph" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; line-height: 1.66667;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><cite class="el-editorial-source" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-style: normal; font-weight: 700;">(CNN) - </cite>Country music legend Merle Haggard, best known for such patriotic hits as "Okie From Muskogee" and "The Fightin' Side of Me," died Wednesday, his birthday, at his home in Northern California. He was 79.</span></p></div><div class="zn-body__paragraph" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 15px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; line-height: 1.66667; margin-right: 0px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Haggard died of complications from pneumonia, his agent Lance Roberts told CNN. </span></div><div class="zn-body__paragraph" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 15px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; line-height: 1.66667; margin-right: 0px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Haggard recorded more than three dozen No. 1 country hits in a musical career that spanned six decades, from the 1960s into the 2010s. He overcame an early life of crime and a prison term in San Quentin to develop a rugged, outlaw image that helped sell millions of records.</span></div><ul class="cn cn-list-hierarchical-xs cn--idx-4 cn-zoneAdContainer" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; list-style: none;"></ul><div class="zn-body__paragraph" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 15px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; line-height: 1.66667; margin-right: 0px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Tributes immediately began pouring in from the country music world and beyond.</span></div><div class="zn-body__paragraph" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 15px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; line-height: 1.66667; margin-right: 0px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"Country music has suffered one of the greatest losses it will ever experience," said country star Charlie Daniels on Twitter. "Rest in peace Merle Haggard."</span></div><div class="zn-body__read-all" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="zn-body__paragraph" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 15px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; line-height: 1.66667; margin-right: 0px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"There are no words to describe the loss & sorrow felt within all of music with the passing of Merle Haggard. Thank God for his life & songs," said singer Brad Paisley.</span></div><div class="zn-body__paragraph" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 15px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; line-height: 1.66667; margin-right: 0px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Despite his advancing age Haggard maintained a robust touring schedule in recent years and had been scheduled to perform Thursday night in Missouri.</span></div></div></div></div><div>--------------------------------</div><div><br></div><div><b>"Okie From Muskogee"</b></div><div><a href="http://www.tomandrodna.com/Songs/Merle_Haggard/Okie_From_Muskogee.mp3">http://www.TomandRodna.com/Songs/Merle_Haggard/Okie_From_Muskogee.mp3</a></div><div><br></div><div><b>"Silver Wings"</b> (one of my favorites)</div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="http://www.tomandrodna.com/Songs/Merle_Haggard/Silver_Wings.mp3">http://www.TomandRodna.com/Songs/Merle_Haggard/Silver_Wings.mp3</a></span></div><div><br></div><div><b>"The Fightin' Side of Me"</b></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="http://www.tomandrodna.com/Songs/Merle_Haggard/The_Fighting_Side_of_Me.mp3">http://www.TomandRodna.com/Songs/Merle_Haggard/The_Fighting_Side_of_Me.mp3</a></span><br><br><div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Rest well, cowboy.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Seeya 'round town, Moscow, because . . .</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"Moscow Cares" </span></div><div><a href="http://www.moscowcares.com/" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font color="#000000">http://www.MoscowCares.com</font></a></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></div><div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Tom Hansen</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Moscow, Idaho</span></div></div><div> </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>