Country music icon Merle Haggard dies on 79th birthday

(Image credit: Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images for Big Barrel)

Country music icon Merle Haggard died of pneumonia Wednesday on his 79th birthday, his manager confirmed to The Associated Press. A pioneer of the signature "Bakersfield Sound," Haggard was known for his Vietnam-era anthems like "Okie of Muskogee" and "The Fightin' Side of Me" as well as hits like "Mama Tried," "Swinging Doors," and "The Bottle Let Me Down."

Haggard was also known for his work in the Outlaw Country movement. He garnered an impressive 38 No. 1 songs in his career, earning Grammys, ACMs, CMAs, and an induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame. He was hospitalized last month for double pneumonia.

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.