The Hag, Marc Eliot
The Hag, Marc Eliot
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The Hag
The Life, Times, and Music of Merle Haggard

Author: Marc Eliot

Narrator: Marc Eliot

Unabridged: 17 hr 50 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Da Capo Press

Published: 01/18/2022


Synopsis

The definitive biography of country legend Merle Haggard by the New York Times bestselling biographer of Clint Eastwood, Cary Grant, The Eagles, and more.Merle Haggard was one of the most important country music musicians who ever lived. His astonishing musical career stretched across the second half of the 20th Century and into the first two decades of the next, during which he released an extraordinary 63 albums, 38 that made it on to Billboard's Country Top Ten, 13 that went to #1, and 37 #1 hit singles. With his ample songbook, unique singing voice and brilliant phrasing that illuminated his uncompromising commitment to individual freedom, cut with the monkey of personal despair on his back and a chip the size of Monument Valley on his shoulder, Merle's music and his extraordinary charisma helped change the look, the sound, and the fury of American music.

The Hag tells, without compromise, the extraordinary life of Merle Haggard, augmented by deep secondary research, sharp detail and ample anecdotal material that biographer Marc Eliot is known for, and enriched and deepened by over 100 new and far-ranging interviews. It explores the uniquely American life of an angry rebellious boy from the wrong side of the tracks bound for a life of crime and a permanent home in a penitentiary, who found redemption through the music of "the common man."

Merle Haggard's story is a great American saga of a man who lifted himself out of poverty, oppression, loss and wanderlust, to catapult himself into the pantheon of American artists admired around the world. Eliot has interviewed more than 100 people who knew Haggard, worked with him, were influenced by him, loved him or hated him. The book celebrates the accomplishments and explore the singer's infamous dark side: the self-created turmoil that expressed itself through drugs, women, booze, and betrayal. The Hag offers a richly anecdotal narrative that will elevate the life and work of Merle Haggard to where both properly belong, in the pantheon of American music and letters.

The Hag is the definitive account of this unique American original, and will speak to readers of country music and rock biographies alike.

About Marc Eliot

Marc Eliot has written widely on the media and popular culture for a variety of publications. He is also the New York Times bestselling author of more than a dozen books, including Down 42nd Street, Death of a Rebel, and Walt Disney: Hollywood's Dark Prince. He divides his time among New York City; Woodstock, New York; and Los Angeles.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Kat (Katlovesbooks) on January 15, 2022

The Hag by Marc Eliotis the biography of country legend Merle Haggard. First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Hachette Books, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. My Synopsis: Jim and Flossie Haggard had a......more

Goodreads review by patrick on May 04, 2022

I read this book a while ago and thought I knew some parts of his life it was interesting to find out more. I do live in Bakersfield so many years ago when I moved here some of the older people would tell me stories of Haggard and Owens and how there were two separate places to see each of them. Wh......more

Goodreads review by Joseph on March 05, 2022

A very disappointing biography of Merle Haggard that falls short on pretty much every level, from the writing style to basic fact checking. The book begins inauspiciously with some misguided, unpersuasive pseudo-Freudian psychological analysis, and frequently returns to this type of sophomoric analy......more

Goodreads review by John on January 16, 2024

As a long-time Merle Haggard fan, I knew I would enjoy this book. I have read a few Marc Eliot biographies and he is a great writer and researcher. There were a few editing issues that distracted me, but overall I liked it a lot. As it turns out, Muskogee may have been the only place the Okie wouldn......more

Goodreads review by Barry on March 06, 2022

The iconic singer/songwriter/guitar and fiddle player Merle Haggard put out a staggering body of work: 63 albums (38 of which made it onto Billboard's Country Top Ten), 13 went to #1, and he had 37 hit singles that went to #1. Among the best known songs were such classic tracks as: Mama Tried, The F......more