Iconic Band Inductees 1994 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Early History The Band s five members all grew up separately, and only one was from Arkansas, the .
Sherwin and Pam Linton and The Cotton Kings will perform Friday, Sept. 23, at Great River Arts in Little Falls in a tribute to the stars of the Grand Ole Opry. Sherwin Linton will also share stories of the Grand Ole Opry performers he has shared the stage with starting in the 1950s.
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Merle Haggard sadly died on this date in 2016 from complications due to pneumonia. The legendary singer-songwriter was also born on this date, April 6, 1939, in Oildale, California near Bakserfiled after his family, like many families in the Great Depression, relocated to California from Checotah, Oklahoma.
In California, Merle’s father James Haggard worked for the Santa Fe Railroad and Merle literally grew up in a boxcar his father remodeled into a living space. The opening line of “Mama Tried,” “First thing I remember knowin’/Was that lonesome whistle blowin’” was probably a true statement. Merle’s working class upbringing gave him deep insight into the plight of working folks, something that he would highlight to great effect in his writing.