Merle Ronald Haggard was born in Oildale, California, toward the end of the Great Depression. His childhood was troubled after the death of his father, and he was incarcerated several times in his youth. After being released from San Quentin State Prison in 1960, he managed to turn his life around and launch a successful country music career.
Haggard gained popularity with his songs about the working class that occasionally contained themes contrary to anti–the Vietnam War sentiment of some popular music of the time. Between the 1960s and the 1980s, he had 38 number-one hits on the US country charts, several of which also made the Billboard all-genre singles chart. Haggard continued to release successful albums into the 2000s.
Merle Haggard children: Meet Ben Haggard, Marty Haggard, Noel Haggard, Jenessa Haggard, Dana Haggard, Kelli Haggard
Ben Haggard, Marty Haggard, Noel Haggard, Jenessa Haggard, Dana Haggard, and Kelli Haggard are the six children born to Merle Haggard.
Haggard was married five times, first to Leona Hobbs from 1956 to 1964. They had four children: Dana, Marty, Kelli, and Noel. Shortly after divorcing Hobbs, in 1965, he married singer Bonnie Owens, the former wife of Buck Owens. Haggard and Owens divorced in 1978 but remained close friends as Owens continued as his backing vocalist until she died in 2006.
In 1975 he was engaged to a prominent businesswoman in Bakersfield, Tresa Destefani. They called off the engagement in 1976 but remained close friends. In 1978, Haggard married Leona Williams. In 1983, they divorced. In 1985 Haggard married Debbie Parret; they divorced in 1991. He married his fifth wife, Theresa Ann Lane, on September 11, 1993. They had two children, Jenessa and Ben.
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Source: Ghanafuo.com
