Merle Ronald Haggard (born April 6, 1937) is an American
country and
Western songwriter, singer, guitarist,
fiddler, and instrumentalist. Along with
Buck Owens, Haggard and his band
The Strangers helped create the
Bakersfield sound, which is characterized by the unique twang of
Fender Telecaster and the unique mix with the traditional country steel guitar sound, new vocal harmony styles in which the words are minimal, and a rough edge not heard on the more polished
Nashville sound recordings of the same era.