Page "Merle Haggard" Paragraph 21

In 2000, Haggard made a comeback of sorts, signing with the independent record label Anti and releasing the spare If I Could Only Fly to critical acclaim.

He followed it in 2001 with Roots, vol.

1, a collection of Lefty Frizzell, Hank Williams, and Hank Thompson covers, along with three Haggard originals.

The album, recorded in Haggard's living room with no overdubs, featured Haggard's longtime bandmates The Strangers as well as Frizzell's original lead guitarist, Norman Stephens.

In December 2004, Haggard spoke at length on Larry King Live about his incarceration as a young man and said it was " hell " and " the scariest experience of my life ".