Country Legend Merle Haggard Dead At 79

Carly Ledbetter
Updated

Merle Haggard died Wednesday after battling double pneumonia, his manager confirmed to TMZ. The country singer died at his home in California on his 79th birthday.

The famous country singer recently canceled a series of shows, citing health problems, but had plans for upcoming performances with Willie Nelson.

Haggard was born in 1937 in Bakersfield, California. Known for his songs like "The Bottle Let Me Down," "Okie from Muskogee," "Sing Me Back Home" and "Mama Tried" among countless others, the singer earned 38 No. 1 hits over the course of his career. Haggard was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1994 and is considered "the single most influential singer-songwriter in country music history."

Dierks Bentley, Rodney Atkins, Carrie Underwood and many others have come forward to mourn the incredible loss to the country music community.

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