Merle Haggard, country music legend, dead at 79

Merle Haggard, the outlaw country legend whose music explored ordinary people and working-class struggles, died on Wednesday, his 79th birthday.

The rough and tumble singer-songwriter dubbed "the Poet of the Common Man" died in Palo Cedro, Calif., of pneumonia, according to his manager, Frank Mull.

Known for hits such as Okie From Muskogee, Mama Tried and Workin' Man Blues, Haggard was a prominent figure of the Outlaw Country movement and pioneer of the rougher-edged, California-born Bakersfield Sound, which was a reaction to the slickly produced, strings-laden music emerging from Nashville in the late-1950s and 1960s. 

"Merle Haggard was an uncommon hero in country music," Neil Portnow, president of the U.S Recording Academy, said in a statement Wednesday afternoon.

"[His] massive success was rooted in his masterful ability to celebrate the outlaws and the underdogs…His remarkable performances will forever live on and inspire music creators worldwide. We have lost an innovative member of the music community and our sincerest condolences go out to Merle's family, friends, collaborators and all who have been impacted by his incredible work. He will truly be missed."

Haggard's music was covered by a wide range of artists, including The Byrds, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Son Volt, Grateful Dead, Emmylou Harris, Dwight Yoakam, Lucinda Williams and Reba McEntire, while in 2006 Eric Church recorded the tribute song Pledge Allegiance to the Hag.

In a post online Wednesday afternoon, Haggard's musician son, Ben noted that his father had predicted his passing.

"A week ago dad told us he was gonna pass on his birthday, and he wasn't wrong...He wasn't just a country singer. He was the best country singer that ever lived."

Haggard battled health issues in recent years as he continued to tour and record. His recent releases included 2015's Django and Jimmie, an album of duets with fellow outlaw country icon Willie Nelson.

Most recently, however, Haggard had cancelled shows in February due to ongoing issues after suffering a bout of pneumonia in both lungs that put him in hospital in December. At the time, he had hoped to recover and head back on the road.

He was previously treated for lung cancer in 2008, which included undergoing surgery to remove part of one lung.

Inspired and praised by Johnny Cash

Haggard's family migrated to California from Oklahoma, but struggled in the new state. He was born near Bakersfield and raised in a home constructed from a converted railway boxcar.

His father died suddenly when he was just nine years old and the young man turned to a life of petty crime that led to many brushes with the law.

During a stint in San Quentin State Prison, he saw Johnny Cash perform and, upon release, Haggard — a self-taught guitarist and fiddler as well as singer and songwriter — decided to devote himself to music.

Cash, who became a mentor and an early fan, once introduced Haggard as "a man who writes about his own life and has had a life to write about."

Haggard went on to rack up dozens of No. 1 hits over four decades. He is hailed as a major influence for a generation of country musicians for his innovative songwriting from a working-class point of view. His song Today I Started Loving You Again has been recorded by close to 400 artists. 

"I'll tell you what the public likes more than anything," he said in a 1999 Boston Globe interview. "It's the most rare commodity in the world — honesty."

Fans and colleagues quickly posted tributes online.

"We've lost one of the greatest writers and singers of all time," Dolly Parton told EW in a statement. "His heart was as tender as his love ballads. I loved him like a brother. Rest easy, Merle."

Widely recognized for his musical contributions, Haggard was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1994, won Grammy Awards and was honoured for his contribution to American culture at the Kennedy Center Honours in 2010. In 1972, then-California Gov. Ronald Reagan granted him a pardon.

Last month, his Mama Tried was among the latest batch of songs selected for preservation in the U.S. National Recording Registry.

Haggard's survivors include his fifth wife, Theresa Lane, and six children.