Nonfiction

The Hag: The Life, Times, and Music of Merle Haggard

The Hag: The Life, Times, and Music of Merle Haggard

  • Downloads：1376
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2022-01-08 18:21:03
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Marc Eliot
  • ISBN：0306923211
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle

Reviews

Kayla Rae ，

I love Merle Haggard。 I have since I was a little kid， his songs bring me back to so many memories I have and I will always love him。 I was looking forward to reading this a lot。 It took me a long time to get through this。 It was very dense。 I normally don’t read biographies， I’m more of an autobiography person。 However， I learn so much about Merle and a lot of Country Music artists while reading this。 I was constantly messaging my family asking if they knew some of this information！ I think if I love Merle Haggard。 I have since I was a little kid， his songs bring me back to so many memories I have and I will always love him。 I was looking forward to reading this a lot。 It took me a long time to get through this。 It was very dense。 I normally don’t read biographies， I’m more of an autobiography person。 However， I learn so much about Merle and a lot of Country Music artists while reading this。 I was constantly messaging my family asking if they knew some of this information！ I think if you like biographies or country music this is a perfect book for you。 4 Stars！ 。。。more

Teresa  ，

I thoroughly enjoyed this book。 The story of this music legend and his music is portrayed in such a way as you feel that you are living these times right with Merle。 The author gives you a detailed view of not only Merle's life but many other country music stars as well as the Bakersfield music。 The personal quotes and stories about Merle from his friends give you a personal view of the true Merle。 The excellent research by the author is very evident and adds many interesting historical facts。I I thoroughly enjoyed this book。 The story of this music legend and his music is portrayed in such a way as you feel that you are living these times right with Merle。 The author gives you a detailed view of not only Merle's life but many other country music stars as well as the Bakersfield music。 The personal quotes and stories about Merle from his friends give you a personal view of the true Merle。 The excellent research by the author is very evident and adds many interesting historical facts。I highly recommend this book whether you are a Merle fan or not。 It is an outstanding read and a definite keeper for my bookshelf。 。。。more

Josee ，

Merle Haggard is known for epitomizing old country and being one of the Outlaws， but I for one didn’t know much about his personal life or career before reading this biography。 This book gives a comprehensive overview of where Merle Haggard came from， his upbringing and the things that influenced him in his life such as being incarcerated at San Quentin， the death of his father and his eventual pardon。 A notoriously guarded man， we get the sense that we may never know the real story as his exper Merle Haggard is known for epitomizing old country and being one of the Outlaws， but I for one didn’t know much about his personal life or career before reading this biography。 This book gives a comprehensive overview of where Merle Haggard came from， his upbringing and the things that influenced him in his life such as being incarcerated at San Quentin， the death of his father and his eventual pardon。 A notoriously guarded man， we get the sense that we may never know the real story as his experiences led him not to trust many people。 The Hag’s career is one that could only have begun in the era when he began， pre-social media。 In today’s world he would have been cancelled for his less than impressive record of his treatment of women and history of violence。 He was a good old boy in a male dominated world。 This is an instance where I have to separate the man from the artist as his career and musical accomplishments can’t be denied。 He stuck to doing what he believed in and what he did best even when it was not the most popular thing to be。If I were to note any negative aspects of the book for me， I found the people who loved him in his life did not really get their due。 His mother Flossie， who helped raise his children and stood by him his whole life， is in the background and her death is not even noted。 We get some quotes from his many children， but there is more of a back story on Buck Owen then anyone else close to him， their rivalry throughout their lives is constantly referenced。Overall， I have a better understanding of what made a man like Merle Haggard and what influenced his music as well as a whole generation of artists。 。。。more

Dan ，

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Hachette Books for an advanced copy of this musical history and biography。 Johnny Cash has been responsible for many classic songs， performances， and even political stances。 Probably one of his finest acts was giving hope to a poor lost soul during his show at San Quentin State Prison， and making him one of the most important country stars whose catalog of songs no bar band or sad jukebox could exist without。 Marc Eliot's The Hag: The Life， Times， and Mus My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Hachette Books for an advanced copy of this musical history and biography。 Johnny Cash has been responsible for many classic songs， performances， and even political stances。 Probably one of his finest acts was giving hope to a poor lost soul during his show at San Quentin State Prison， and making him one of the most important country stars whose catalog of songs no bar band or sad jukebox could exist without。 Marc Eliot's The Hag: The Life， Times， and Music of Merle Haggard， tells the story of this country legend， a dirt poor son born with a gift for playing music， but a self-destructive streak that nearly derailed him at every turn。The biography is， as are all of Mr。 Eliot's many biographies well researched and even better， extremely well written。 Facts are checked， checked again， and a story might appear twice depending on the story and its veracity。 Music biographies can be tough to write as time， pharmaceuticals， grudges， ego， and sheer mundanity of the touring life can make stories fade， or grow， omission sometimes a mistake， or necessary。 Mr。 Eliot brings in influences， the history of California music， and the rise of Country as a musical genre， along with interviews with friends， enemies， hangers-on and devoted fans to tell the very rich story about a complicated and difficult man。 The music is a major character in the story， but a character that really is the most importance is Mr。 Haggard's father who died， when Merle was young and leaving an absence that the singer tried to fill with crime， women， drugs and alcohol。 Only luck， with a dash of Johnny Cash， and perseverance steered him right， though many including his mother tried。 Plus the stories， songs written on fast food bags， his hours of practicing to make the music perfect， his mimicry of other singers， his many albums， and his always trying to make his father proud。 The only problem I have with biographies is you know that the story will come to the usual end of everyone rich or poor， famous or unknown。 The song will fade out， and the house lights will turn off。 Merle Haggard in some places was not a very good person， but he wasn't a really bad person either。 The Hag is a very good biography about a man with many sorrows。 Perfect for country music， or music fans in general， and those that enjoy a very well written biography。 。。。more

Ben ，

I received an ARC of “ The Hag” from the publisher through Net Galley。 My thanks to both for the pleasure of reading the book。I have read Marc Elliot’s biography “ “The Hag” and enjoyed the story of a country music great。 It is， of course， about the country music icon Merle Haggard。 I knew a bit of Haggard’s music and very little of his personal life ， but y the final page of this book， I was fully informed about both。 Of course I had heard him sing on the radio and on the recent PBS Ken Burns s I received an ARC of “ The Hag” from the publisher through Net Galley。 My thanks to both for the pleasure of reading the book。I have read Marc Elliot’s biography “ “The Hag” and enjoyed the story of a country music great。 It is， of course， about the country music icon Merle Haggard。 I knew a bit of Haggard’s music and very little of his personal life ， but y the final page of this book， I was fully informed about both。 Of course I had heard him sing on the radio and on the recent PBS Ken Burns special about country music， which is what prompted me to want to read this Biography。 Writing with a clear style， tells the story of a hard-scrabble family who lived through the hard times of the Depression， one of the families of “Okies” who rolled west to California to start over 。 Despite the efforts of a father who worked at any job he could get around the oil fields of Bakersfield， and a loving pious mother， Flossie， who raised him to be honest and hard working， Haggard was a wild child。 He hated school and played hooky so much that truant officers knew him intimately。 What he did learn was how to steal。 Between shoplifting and smash and grab thieving ， young Merle spent considerable time in jails， from which he usually walked away from as soon as he could， grabbing a ride on freight cars until things cooled off and he could return home to his long-suffering， loving mother。The thingsMerle did like as he grew up were girls， drinking， partying and playing guitar。 His wildness eventually earned him being branded as incorrigible and time in “ State Schools” I。e。 ， reformatories。 Eventually， a botched gas station smash and grab，and a car theft， earned him a term in San Quentin。 It was a seminal event in his life， second only with the first time he played music 。 Often moving， sometimes shocking ， the author tells of Haggard’s rise to country music stardom as Merle goes from playing with pick - up bands in honky- tonks around his hometown， to fan-filled auditoriums 。 It’s a tale of boozy nights and long bus trips， the camaraderie of his band， of easy women and Haggard’s growing fame the foremost interpreter of country music。 It is also a tale of his five wives。 Merle loved women， especially those with “ big tops and big bottoms” Having a wife and kids at home did not slow him slipping off to enjoy truck stop dames。 As the author writes， “For him， marriage signaled the end of something rather than the beginning”。 He married women he lusted for who ignited and returned his passions。 His second wife， Bonnie Owens ex-wife of Buck Owens joined Haggard’s entourage， easily fitting in with her good voice。 Although they loved one another， he needed her for more than her musical talent， a fact he did not realize until the day she could no longer stand his cheating and divorced him。 Only then did he realize how much he missed her in his life。 Bonnie performed with Merle and his band even after the divorce; she never stopped loving him until her death。 He never stopped loving her even after。 It is quite a love story。 Mr。 Elliot’s biography of a man absorbed in and devoted to his music，of the demons he fought as he rose to prominence is compelling reading。 Yes， there is a bit of “and then he wrote” detail，as well as tales of all the musicians and notables Haggard met as he went form beer halls to Lincoln Center。 Haggard’s climb to stardom。 His faults ， fears and falls are detailed。 He made a lot of money and spent it freely。 Was taken by promoters and never turned his back on a friend。 But he never lost his musical focus- real country music played with feeling and love。 Notes: an addendum lists his record and albums。 Since this was an advanced copy， photographs were not included， but indicated that the final editions would have pictures。 Recommended for Merle Haggard fans and for those who enjoy bios of prominent entertainers。 。。。more