Who Doesn't Love Merle Haggard?

Friday night, Moma took Bob and I to Merle Haggard's concert at the Cascade Theatre. My Aunt Monda took my cousin Pam and her husband, Eddie (the one with the hat over his face; he's highly allergic to having his picture taken). We had a blast! Who doesn't love Merle Haggard, and he's a "local boy" besides! :0)

It was a benefit concert for the Shasta College Culinary Department (which Merle's youngest daughter is a part of). Merle's son, Noel, opened the show for his Dad. Then we had a 10-15 minute break, and Merle took the stage. He sang soooooo many of my favorites - Silver Wings; Mama Tried; Sing Me Back Home; Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star; and, of course, closed the show with I'm Proud To Be An Okie From Muskogee. I can't believe Merle Haggard recorded his first single in 1964, and he is still SO popular today - 47 years later.

Halfway through the concert, Bob leaned over to me and said, "This is QUITE a rowdy crowd for a bunch of old people." I had to agree!! Most of the crowd were older people, and they stomped their feet, "hooped and hollered", and constantly shouted, "We love Merle!" between songs. They crowd went crazy when Merle would change the words of a song to "Palo Cedro" instead of the city in the song.

Thanks, Moma, for a great "evening out on the town"!

P.S. Just a bit of "non-essential information": My husband, Bob, did a service call at Merle Haggard's house in Palo Cedro when he worked for Enterprise Plumbing. Merle was not there, but his wife was and their son was a newborn baby. That "baby" is now 17 years old and plays in his father's band!