There will never be another Merle Haggard. But hopefully, and for years to come, there will be a Ben Haggard.

How many times have I said (and written) that, for me, Merle Haggard was the greatest country music singer in history. And he was one of the greatest songwriters in history as well. Now, that's quite a combination! And it was precisely because of the way he wrote and sang that it felt like a personal loss when Merle passed away. A great artist will do that, get so close to you that you feel like you know them. And in a certain sense, you do.

And now I hope we will get to know Ben Haggard. You can learn more about Ben on his official Facebook page.

But I will say this:

When you listen to Merle's son Ben, you will hear shade's of his Dad in his voice. And that's not a bad thing. But you'll also hear Ben's voice, a voice that knows how to wrap around a lyric and make it his....and ours.

So while I mourn the loss of my favorite country music singer ever, I look (and listen) to the future of this young man. Give a listen to Ben Haggard.


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