Merle Haggard Documentary BB4 (Still on iplayer)

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threebikesmcginty

Corn Fed Hick...
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...on the slake
Anyone watch Hennig's superb documentary about Merle Haggard on BBC4 at the weekend?

Just me then, thought so - if you don't know, Merle Haggard is a country singer/songwriter who's been around since the late 50s early 60s and has, over the years, written and recorded some great songs. There's a lot more talk in this that there is music but there are some worthwhile contributors to the programme such as Dwight Yoakam and John Fogerty, that silly old leather faced buffoon Keith Richards is interviewed too but Merle seems to like him so I guess that's okay.

Although most of Haggard's best work was written and recorded in the 60s and 70s I think his voice was at its peak in the 80s when it took on a slightly more gravelly and deeper tone. In the programme the live footage is current and now in his 70s and after lung cancer his voice is slightly weaker but he's still a great singer. There's a section where he talks about his youngest lad and they have some footage of him playing guitar on stage with Merle, there's a lot of talentless celebrity off-spring around theses days but young Ben isn't one of them. There's plenty of old footage and interviews too and some painfully honest talking.

The documentary was filmed over a three year period and it's very well done and very watchable. Recommended :becool:

http://www.theartsde...-bbc4&Itemid=31
 
I watched it by accident - doing other things and it just happened to be on that channel.
Interesting bloke. Wouldn't want to be one of his ageing wives though!
 
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threebikesmcginty

threebikesmcginty

Corn Fed Hick...
Location
...on the slake
Bonnie was married Buck Owens before Merle. Buck's third wife (Jana Jae Greif who was the fiddle player in the Hee Haw band, being the first female "Buckaroo") divorced him after only a couple of days. Countrier and countrier, y'all.
 
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