Search - Merle Haggard :: Live!

Merle Haggard, one of the most commercially successful singers and songwriters in the long history of American country music, was born on April 6th 1937 in Bakersfield, California and could be safely said to have lived the life he sings about. Attempting to support his family via burglary and armed robbery resulted in a term at the notorious San Quentin jail from 1957 to 1960. A performance by Johnny Cash at the jail renewed Haggard s determination to make it in country music. He went on to have 24 No.1 hits with Capitol Records, and that continued into the 90s after stays with Epic, Mercury and Curb. He has enjoyed over 100 entries on Billboard s Top Country Singles.

Merle Haggard is captured live on the famous US TV series Church Street Station. Live! features 7 of Haggard's Billboard country chart No.1s and was recorded during a return to popularity of Western Swing. On Live!, Merle performs terrific versions of Bob Wills classics like Take Me Back To Tulsa, San Antonio Rose and Ida Red.

Highly regarded UK label Acrobat Music is launching its US operations on October 21st 2008 with this as well as other re-issues that offer high quality and excellent value. All of the Premier Collection titles are showcased in deluxe packages with unique, consistent packaging, which include o-cards, extensive liner notes and either a large number of tracks or lengthy play time. Acrobat will be establishing its presence as the premier independent re-issue label in the US through its distribution deal with TVT Distribution.