Virtual Merle Haggard Musical Tribute "Festival" Planned Monday, April 6 By Texas Singer-Songwriters

If there was ever a Mount Rushmore for modern day country music singer-songwriters, clearly Merle Haggard would be considered for one of those gigantic busts. His influence runs far and wide with iconic songs like "Mama Tried", "Okie from Muskogee", "The Fightin' Side of Me" and "Pancho and Lefty."  Nowhere is that more truthful, however, than the place where this sort of storytelling is still alive and well, the great Lone Star State of Texas.  Haggard had the unique life notation of both being born and passing on the same exact day, April 6.  (He passed away on his 79th birthday back in 2016.)

A group of special Texas artists and songwriters are not going to let this day go unnoticed, however. With the world under quarantine and with all live shows on indefinite hiatus, another kind of special online show is being put together on Monday night at 6p CST to celebrate Haggard.  Described as "Hag, You're It", they're putting together a virtual guitar pull celebrating the life and catalog of their hero, Merle Haggard. Songs will be performed by Randy Rogers, Wade Bowen, Cody Canada, Max Stalling, Adam Hood, Jamie Lin Wilson, Matt Hillyer, Walt Wilkins, Jason Eady, Courtney Patton and maybe a few other last minute additions that are in the works.

Says Eady on the project, "This coming Monday we’ll be doing a virtual Hag Off! The Hag off is a tradition where we all get together and pass the guitar playing nothing but Merle Haggard songs. Since April 6 is his birthday we thought we shouldn’t let this quarantine slow that down. So we’ll be “passing the guitar” from one Facebook Live page to another all night for a game of “Hag, You’re It”. We’ll get started at 6pm and go til we’re done. In the meantime be sure and like everybody’s pages so you can follow along."

The concert will start on Courtney Patton's Facebook page and then she will hand the virtual mic over to another songwriter's Facebook page and go from artist to artist as they sing tribute to Haggard and share their favorite musical influences on their own songwriting careers.  It will be undoubtedly a special evening celebrating a legend.