This week we lost a Country Icon.... and much loved local resident... Merle Haggard has made his home in the North State for many years... the 26 I have been here and before that... He died of pneumonia on Wed April 6 a little after 9 in the morning... the day he said he was going to die... His 79th Birthday.
Back in 2008 he was diagnosed with he same lung cancer that killed Rodger, since no one survives that cancer, I was curious and read on the internet that they did catch it very early and cut it out and he did not even have to have chemo... totally amazing... he was healthy and on the road performing for 8 years after that!!!!
I had the pleasure of seeing him in concert 3 times during my years here... Mostly he was on the road and rarely performed locally...
When I was working as an Optician in the early 2000s he was a patient in our office and one day I had the pleasure of selling him a pair of eyeglasses with blue lenses to perform in... he also picked out a frame for his wife Theresa, and wanted to surprise her.. we had a heck of a time figuring out what measurements would be needed... (fitting progressive lenses requires measurements with the glasses on the face... )
He had 6 well known children, some of whom have followed in his footsteps... and apparently at least one that not many were aware of... this young man was on the news last night, telling how his mother never told Merle, and did not tell him till he was 8 years old... As an adult he reached out to Merle saying I am your son.... although surprised, Merle apparently did not try to deny it and they met 3 times over the years, once Merle got to meet his granddaughter by this man and and one time there was a paternity test taken, that was 99.9% conclusive that they were indeed father and son... Scott took his name at that time, and wanted nothing else...
A local lady named Debbie was once married to him and has only good things to say about him and is friends with Theresa...
He was cremated yesterday and the private the funeral was today, Sat, April 9
Many well know performers attended the service which was officiated by Marty Stuart... my long time favorite Kris Kristoffereson came, Willie Nelson was unable to attend.
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