Merle Haggard
Nov, 11 2008
Legendary country rebel Merle Haggard is recovering after undergoing surgery to remove a tumor from his lung. The 71 year old, who turned his life around after several early stints in prison (during one of which he saw Johnny Cash perform) to become a commercially successful and critically loved singer, had the tumor removed last week in his home town of Bakersfield. It was initially discovered in May but Hag refused treatment until recently, and even felt well enough to tour over the summer. During his long career, Haggard achieved an astonishing 38 No.1 hits on the Country charts, and earned a Lifetime Achievement Grammy in 2006.
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