Was fortunate enough to see Merle Haggard play in Bakersfield about 6 months or so before he died. I still have the LA Times Newspaper from the day after. His passing was a big deal in Country Music, since he was pretty much one of the last guys from that era alive. Well, I suppose you could make a case for Bobby Bare, but still. It was also a big deal in California in particular, because most casual Country Music fans have no clue that some of the Genere’s and most influential stars cut their teeth in California, and formed the “Bakersfield Sound” - with Buck Owens and Merle Haggard leading the charge, with Dwight Yoakum taking the reins in the 90’s.
As far as modern country goes, it pretty much blows - and has for the past 25 years IMO. Chris Stapleton is good. But the best has probably been Sturgill Simpson. Too bad he blew out his vocal cords and with the exception of a guest performance recently in Tennessee, has seemingly lost interest in the music industry. Shame too, because he’s a super talented rock musician
