Goodbye, Merle
by Paula Bosse
Merle and Lefty, in Corsicana
by Paula Bosse
The great Merle Haggard died today, on his 79th birthday. My earliest music memories are hearing his songs on the radio. Even people who don’t listen to country music know who Merle Haggard is (and are probably fans).
One of his idols was Lefty Frizzell, the Corsicana-born legend whose first hits were recorded in Dallas. Merle helped raise the funds in the late ’80s and early ’90s for the wonderful statue of Lefty which now stands in Jester Park in Corsicana. The picture above shows Merle visiting the statue. (Whenever I’m in Corsicana, I always drop by Jester Park to spend some time with Lefty.)
As far as Merle and Dallas, the earliest mention I could find was from January, 1965. Country music was covered only sporadically in the pages of The Dallas Morning News back then, but his early-’65 stop at the Sportatorium may have been Merle’s first appearance in Dallas — appropriately enough, it was at the Big D Jamboree. “California country music team” Merle and Bonnie Owens were guest performers, along with Billy Grammer and James O’Gwynn of the Grand Ole Opry, and the regular Jamboree cast of thirty, for the Jan. 30, 1965 Saturday-night Big D Jamboree show.
RIP, Merle. Thanks for everything.
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The top picture is a photo I took of an original photograph which is hanging in the Lefty Frizzell Museum, which is also in Corsicana’s Jester Park (as part of the Pioneer Village).
Merle’s obituary in Variety — which includes entertaining salty quotes from the man himself — is here.
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Copyright © 2016 Paula Bosse. All Rights Reserved.
Flashback : Dallas 
Reblogged this on trrssmightymite and commented:
❤
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I believe my Daddy took this picture. My Dad was Bobby Fluker and the idea for the statue of Lefty was his, along with his buddies, Don Steely and (Ramblin’)Roy Miller. They worked tirelessly for 4 1/2 years to raise the money for the statue. Merle was a big contributor, but could not be there at the dedication in 1992. But on January 20, 1995, Merle called my Dad and said he’s was coming through Corsicana and would he show him Lefty’s statue. My Dad agreed to do so, and Merle picked up my Dad on his bus and together they visited Lefty. Daddy couldn’t visit with Merle as long as he would have liked, because later that morning we were having the funeral for my Granny Fluker…his Mother.
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That’s a great story, Suzanne. I can’t remember if there’s a story attached to the photo that hangs in the Lefty museum in Corsicana. You might try contacting someone connected with the Pioneer Village and see if you can have this info added to the photo. Thanks for sharing the story!
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My buddy texted me at work to tell me the sad news and all I could think of was Merle having to go out on stage after hearing about Lefty’s death. Somehow I made it through the rest of the day, went home, listened to Merle, starting with “Footlights,” and drank too much whiskey. Might have cried some, I ain’t saying.
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A lot of glasses were raised to Merle yesterday.
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