On Saturday 8 June 2024, Gene Watson was reminded of how much he admired fellow country music artist, Merle Haggard (Tuesday 6 April 1937 – Wednesday 6 April 2016).
‘Someone showed me this photo today from 2009 of me and Merle Haggard (Tuesday 6 April 1937 – Wednesday 6 April 2016).
He was a huge music hero of mine (as he was to so many).
I always enjoyed catching up with him.
Here we’re sitting on his Super Chief bus, just talking about songs and music we like’
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Gene Watson and Merle Haggard Music Connections
On Monday 3 October 1966, Merle Haggard saw the release of ‘Swinging Doors & The Bottle Let Me Down’ (Capitol Records, 1966), which included ‘Somebody Else You’ve Known’ (written by Merle Haggard); this track was also recorded by Gene Watson, who included it on ‘Heartaches, Love & Stuff‘ (MCA Records, 1984).
On Monday 28 August 1967, Merle Haggard saw the release of ‘Branded Man / I Threw Away The Rose’ (Capitol Records, 1967), which included ‘I Threw Away The Rose’ (written by Merle Haggard); the track reached No.2 on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1967.
The B-side of Merle Haggard‘s ‘I Threw Away The Rose’ was ‘Loneliness Is Eating Me Alive’, which was written by Hank Cochran (Friday 2 August 1935 – Thursday 15 July 2010), and was also recorded by Gene Watson, who included it on ‘Outside The Box‘ (Fourteen Carat Music, 2022).
On Monday 8 April 1968, Merle Haggard saw the release of ‘The Legend of Bonnie & Clyde’ (Capitol Records, 1968), the title track of which was written by Merle Haggard, and was No.1 on the Billboard country music singles chart for two weeks in April / May 1968.
The B-side of Merle Haggard‘s ‘The Legend of Bonnie & Clyde’ was ‘Today I Started Loving You Again’, which was written by Merle Haggard and Bonnie Owens (Tuesday 1 October 1929 – Monday 24 April 2006); although Merle Haggard‘s version was never released as a single, it has become a country music standard, recorded by more than one hundred different artists.
The B-side of Merle Haggard‘s ‘The Legend of Bonnie & Clyde’ was ‘Today I Started Loving You Again’, which was written by Merle Haggard and Bonnie Owens (Tuesday 1 October 1929 – Monday 24 April 2006), was also recorded by Gene Watson, who included it on ‘In A Perfect World‘ (Shanachie Records, 2007); Gene Watson‘s version of the track featured background vocals from Lee Ann Womack.
In December 1972, Merle Haggard saw the release of ‘It’s Not Love (But It’s Not Bad)’ (Capitol Records, 1972), the title track of which was written by Hank Cochran (Friday 2 August 1935 – Thursday 15 July 2010); Merle Haggard‘s version of the track was No.1 on the Billboard country music singles chart for one week in November 1972.
Gene Watson also recorded ‘It’s Not Love (But It’s Not Bad)’, which was written by Hank Cochran (Friday 2 August 1935 – Thursday 15 July 2010), and included the track on ‘My Heroes have Always been Country‘ (Fourteen Carat Music, 2014).
In July 1973, Merle Haggard saw the release of ‘I Love Dixie Blues’ (Capitol Records, 1973), a ‘live’ album, which was subtitled ‘So I Recorded Live In New Orleans’, and was recorded on Sunday 13 May 1973.
One of the included tracks on Merle Haggard‘s ‘I Love Dixie Blues’ (Capitol Records, 1973) was ‘I Forget You Every Day’ (written by Merle Haggard), which was also recorded by Gene Watson, who included it on ‘My Heroes Have Always Been Country‘ (Fourteen Carat Music, 2014).
In November 1973, Merle Haggard saw the release of his first Christmas album, ‘Merle Haggard’s Christmas Present’ (Capitol Records, 1973); one of the included tracks was ‘Silver Bells’, which was written by Jay Livingston (28 March 1915 – Wednesday 17 October 2001) and Raymond Bernard Evans (4 February 1915 – Thursday 15 February 2007).
‘Silver Bells’, which was written by Jay Livingston (28 March 1915 – Wednesday 17 October 2001) and Raymond Bernard Evans (4 February 1915 – Thursday 15 February 2007), was also recorded, in the 1980s, by Gene Watson and George Jones (Saturday 12 September 1931 – Friday 26 April 2013), as a duet, and a non-album track.
In February 1976, Merle Haggard saw the release of ‘It’s All In The Movies’ (Capitol Records, 1976); one of the included tracks was ‘I Know An Ending When It Comes’, which was written by Hank Cochran (Friday 2 August 1935 – Thursday 15 July 2010), and was also recorded by Gene Watson, who included it on ‘A Taste of The Truth‘ (Shanachie Records, 2009).
In November 1976, Merle Haggard saw the release of ‘The Roots of My Raising’ (Capitol Records, 1976); one of the included tracks was ‘I Never Go Around Mirrors’, which was written by Lefty Frizzell (Saturday 31 March 1928 – Saturday 19 July 1975) and Sanger D. ‘Whitey’ Shafer (Wednesday 24 October 1934 – Saturday 12 January 2019).
Lefty Frizzell and Sanger D. ‘Whitey’ Shafer‘s ‘I Never Go Around Mirrors’ was also recorded by Gene Watson, who included it on ‘From The Heart‘ (RMG Records, 2001).
On Monday 11 April 1977, Merle Haggard saw the release of ‘Songs I’ll Always Sing’ (Capitol Records, 1977); one of the included tracks was ‘I Forget You Every Day’ (written by Merle Haggard), which was also recorded by Gene Watson, who included it on ‘My Heroes have Always been Country‘ (Fourteen Carat Music, 2014).
In June 1978, Merle Haggard saw the release of ‘I’m Always On A Mountain When I Fall’ (MCA Records, 1978); one of the included tracks was ‘Don’t You Ever Get Tired (of Hurtin’ Me)’, which was written by Hank Cochran (Friday 2 August 1935 – Thursday 15 July 2010).
Hank Cochran‘s ‘Don’t You Ever Get Tired (of Hurtin’ Me)’ was also recorded by Gene Watson, who included it on ‘In A Perfect World‘ (Shanachie Records, 2007); Gene Watson‘s version of the track featured background vocals from Morgane Hayes and Wes Hightower.
In September 1978, Merle Haggard saw the release of ‘The Way It Was In ’51’ (Capitol Records, 1978); one of the included tracks was ‘I Never Go Around Mirrors’, which was written by Lefty Frizzell (Saturday 31 March 1928 – Saturday 19 July 1975) and Sanger D. ‘Whitey’ Shafer (Wednesday 24 October 1934 – Saturday 12 January 2019).
Lefty Frizzell and Sanger D. ‘Whitey’ Shafer‘s ‘I Never Go Around Mirrors’ was also recorded by Gene Watson, who included it on ‘From The Heart‘ (RMG Records, 2001).
In September 1981, Merle Haggard saw the release of ‘Songs For The Mama That Tried’ (MCA Records, 1981); one of the included tracks was ‘Where No One Stands Alone’, which was written by Thomas Mosie Lister (Thursday 8 September 1921 – Thursday 12 February 2015).
Thomas Mosie Lister’s ‘Where No One Stands Alone’ was also recorded by Gene Watson, who included it on ‘My Gospel Roots‘ (Fourteen Carat Music, 2017); Gene Watson‘s version of the track featured background vocals from John Wesley Ryles and Cindy Richardson Walker.