The Hag: The Life, Times and Music of Merle Haggard by Marc Elliot is a 2022 Hachette publication.

Marc Elliot did a fabulous job with this biography. Merle Haggard is legendary, one of the most influential artists in country music. Over the years, though, even Merle tended to embellish or downplay events, had memory lapses, or selective memory about times, places, people etc.

Elliot sticks to the facts, keeps his nose out of the area of opinion, and presents the story of Merle Haggard as it was, warts and all. A biographer’s job isn’t to praise or criticize and Elliot pulls that off with aplomb by writing a very detailed, profile of Merle Haggard. I am very impressed with the presentation, the approach, and the obvious research Elliot put into this book and the respect he had for his subject.

When I came across this book, I paused, not because I was a huge fan, but because seeing Merle’s picture on the cover brought back some nostalgic childhood memories of my parents who were fans of country music. I thought about what songs of his I might remember and was surprised by how much I could recall. I also stopped to consider what I knew about Merle Haggard, from a personal standpoint, which, other than his infamous prison stint, wasn’t much. Out of curiosity I added it to my list and got a lot more than I had bargained for.

For a good while there I’d made up my mind that I didn’t really like Merle Haggard. He did some awful things, and I’m not talking about his teenage crime sprees. As I continued to read, I was trying to formulate in my mind how to write a review for an incredibly well-written bio of a person I now thought of as a right bastard.

By the end of the book, though, as the author got to the latter stages of Haggard’s life, the awards and honors bestowed on him, I had to agree that yes, he had come from nothing, had been shaken by a prison stint, and music gave him a chance to make something of his life. He had gone on to perform for presidents, and even be honored by them, and will go down in history as one of the most influential country music artists in history. In short, a legend.

Hag did live a hard life, his relationships were never pretty, and he had a penchant for self-sabotage. He didn’t treat his wives well, wasn’t a great parent, had issues with substances, finances, and ups and downs in his career. But his later years, he seemed to have redeemed himself and was more popular than ever when his health begin to fail him.

Overall, this is a fascinating read. The author did a very impressive job with the book and though, Haggard’s personal life was tumultuous, and his career took many turns, there is no denying his songwriting ability, and his musical talent, or the impact he had on many artists.

He was one of the main contributors to the Bakersville sound and deserved all the accolades for his many achievements. At the end of the day, I must admit, somewhat grudgingly, that before I turned that last page, I had come to admire ‘The Hag’, at least from a professional standpoint. He certainly led a full, colorful life and this author certainly did him justice.

5 stars ( )