Country Weekly Article on Merle Haggard

Bill Nauman · Post by **Bill Nauman** » 7 Sep 2001 6:39 am

For those of you who are concerned as to where Country Music is going,pick up the latest copy of Country Weekly.A two page article with quotes from Merle must have knocked the socks off of the big-wigs in Nashville. He is as blunt and straight to the point as is possible. Godspeed Merle Haggard. It is still not too late to take a stand on this issue of mostly bubble-gum all sound-alike plastic music that supresses and restricts the playing of the most beautiful sounding instrument on the planet.."The Steel Guitar" Bill in Vegas

Jason Stillwell · Post by **Jason Stillwell** » 7 Sep 2001 6:29 pm

Yeah, the old Hag just calls it like he sees it. He ain't got nothin' to lose. Guess what--I don't either. I'm on Merle's side.

Chip Fossa · Post by **Chip Fossa** » 9 Sep 2001 8:44 am

Bill,
Can 'Country Weekly' be got on the web? Is there a link to it? Thanks in advance.
Chip

Ron Page · Post by **Ron Page** » 10 Sep 2001 11:54 am

To his credit, Merle has always spoken his mind even when he had much to lose from it. How many Hall of Famers expressed gratitude to their plumber in their acceptance speech? Perhaps he was thumbing his nose just a little at Nashville.

I haven't read the CW article but I've read other articles where he has expressed dismay over today's country music industry and country radio.

Country Weekly's site is at http://www.countryweekly.com

I doubt that the latests stuff is available there for free.

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HagFan

Roger Miller · Post by **Roger Miller** » 16 Sep 2001 7:50 am

That was a great article, I would like to hear his feelings from this past week. Merle you are the man.

Ron Whitworth · Post by **Ron Whitworth** » 16 Sep 2001 9:39 am

Here's a direct link to the article by Merle..This is GREAT stuff!!!.He sure tells it like it is..Ron http://www.countryweekly.com/stories/feature.cfm?instanceid=15230

Leigh Howell · Post by **Leigh Howell** » 16 Sep 2001 12:29 pm

I sure did enjoy that article! He says a whole lot, that backs up what a lot of people think, Including myself!

Leigh

Jason Odd · Post by **Jason Odd** » 16 Sep 2001 5:43 pm

Norman Stevens was actually with Lefty in the early 1950s, and there's no mention of his working with Hank Thompson either, (that would be alongside Pee Wee Whitewing and Bob White in the 1950s).
Norman, like quite a few of Lefty's early pickers, got drafted during the Korean War era, that basially interupted his stint with Frizzell.
Not a bad article, but why so short?

Haggard, he's such an interesting guy.