Broken Bow Records has got something special for all the Merle Haggard fans. Actually, what they have is something special for all country music fans. On April 1, Working Man's Poet: A Tribute to Merle Haggard will be available in stores, and through digital outlets. The album has 20 of Merle's songs, performed by some of the biggest names in country music today.
This is a great way to pay tribute to Merle, and at the same time, introduce his music to today's listeners. The songs are being sung by artists that new country music fans hear on the radio every day. Fans of Luke Bryan, Randy Houser, Joe Nichols and others will enjoy this album. While they are listening to some of their favorite artists, they will also have what might be their first opportunity to hear the great country music of Merle Haggard.
Merle Haggard was the first ACM Entertainer of the year back in 1970. In 1965 he won Most Promising Male Vocalist of the Year, and won his first of six Male Vocalist of the Year awards in 1966. He joined the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1994.
On April 6, the 49th annual Academy of Country Music awards will be broadcast live on ABC (8-11 p.m.). This year, Merle will be receiving the Crystal Milestone Award. Past recipients of this award include Garth Brooks, Kenny Chesney, Jason Aldean, Jennifer Nettles and Taylor Swift.
The songs you will hear on the new album include Misery and Gin, performed by Randy Houser; Footlights, performed by Joe Nichols; Going Where the Lonely Go; performed by Jason Aldean; Today I started Loving You Again, performed by Kristy Lee Cook; Carolyn, performed by Toby Keith; Pancho and Lefty, performed by Luke Bryan and Dierks Bentley; Tonight the Bottle Let Me Down, performed by Garth Brooks, You Take Me For Granted, performed by Thompson Square, Mama Tried, performed by Ben Haggard; That's the Way Love Goes, performed by Dustin Lynch; Make Up Faded Blue Jeans, performed by Jake Owen; I'm a Lonesome Fugitive, performed by James Wesley; Workin' Man Blues, performed by Parmalee; Are The Good Times Really Over, performed by Jason Aldean; Let's Chase Each Other Around the Room, performed by Thompson Square; I Think I'll Just Stay Here and Drink, performed by Dustin Lynch; The Fightin' Side of Me, performed by James Wesley; My Favorite Memory, performed by Joe Nichols; Ramblin' Fever, performed by Randy Houser; and Sing Me Back Home, performed by Ben Haggard.
Luke Bryan and Dierks Bentley team up for Pancho and Lefty, the Townes Van Zandt song that Merle and Willie Nelson took to the top of the charts back in 1983. Jason Aldean took on two of Merle's hits from the early 80s, Going Where the Lonely Go and Are the Good Times Really Over. Randy Houser lends his powerful vocals to Ramblin' Fever and Misery and Gin. From the first song to the last, this album is everything you would expect it to be.
I can't imagine having a country music album collection without this Tribute to Merle Haggard being part of it. You get the best of both worlds with one. Today's artists delivering yesterday's hits. It's a good album, and it is going to spend a lot of time in my CD player. I think it will in the player of every country music fan as well.
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