今天我們帶來一位傳奇鄉村歌手，他出身貧寒、還曾蹲苦牢，之後卻成為鄉村巨星，還得到總統特赦！這位歌手就是Merle Haggard！
Merle Haggard擅長作曲和多種樂器彈唱, 吉他、小提琴都難不倒他。他的鄉村音樂生涯一共獲得了38首BillBoard排行榜的冠軍單曲，其中包括他最廣為人知的”Sing Me Back Home”, “I’m Lonesome Fugitive” 和”Mama tried”；2006年，他還獲得葛萊美終生成就獎！
然而，年輕時的他和家人，應該很難想像他會有這樣的成就。他的爸爸在他9歲那年中風去世，年少的Haggard 心理大受影響. 開始犯下罪行來發洩心中的悲傷。11 歲的時候，因為他多次偷竊、翹課，他的母親非常痛心希望他能走向正途，於是牙一咬將Haggard送入少年感化院。日後他也在”Mama tried”一曲中，寫下對母親的愧疚及懊悔心情。
Haggard從小就展現突出的音樂天賦，年少的他為了生活，夜晚就到小酒館獻唱，但是並未戒掉偷竊的陋習；20歲時他因爲偷竊入獄，在獄中他認識了一位名為”Rabbit” 的死刑犯，目睹了這位獄友的生命終點。這讓他引以為戒，立志改過，寫下了他的成名曲 ”Sing Me Back Home” 紀念他這位”朋友” 的最後時刻。
成名後，鄉村音樂大明星Johnny Cash邀請Haggard上了當時他在ABC主持的節目，鼓勵他分享自己的牢獄過往，讓大眾更認可了Haggard 的坦誠和勇氣！他倆也就此成為好友，而亦師亦友的Johnny Cash 之後更常和Haggard 一起表演，他的人生終於成功翻轉...
Haggard演唱的藍調鄉村歌曲，完美的紓發了當下社會勞工階級的苦悶；在經濟大蕭條與越戰的社會問題下，Haggard 也唱出了美國中西部保守派的辛勞和普遍心聲。讓我們一起來聽他精彩的音樂和人生故事！
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