Marty Haggard
Marty Haggard (born June 18, 1958) is an American country music singer. He is the son of singer-songwriter Merle Haggard. Between 1981 and 1987, Haggard charted five singles on the Hot Country Songs charts, in addition to performing in his father's road band.
Marty Haggard | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 18, 1958 Bakersfield, California |
| Genres | Country |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar |
| Years active | 1981–present |
| Labels | Dimension, MTM, Critique |
| Associated acts | Merle Haggard, The Strangers |
Biography
Marty Haggard was born June 18, 1958, in Bakersfield, California.[1] He was named after Marty Robbins.[2] At the time that Marty Haggard was born, his father, Merle Haggard, was serving time in San Quentin State Prison.[3] Marty Haggard was raised by his grandmother in a railroad boxcar, but by the time the younger Haggard was 12, he had moved in with his father.[4]
He began an acting career in his teens. He had a recurring role in the CBS drama The Fitzpatricks, and a bit part in a TV movie starring Henry Fonda.[4] While driving to the filming location of the TV movie, he stopped for a hitchhiker who then shot him and left him for dead.[3][5] A wounded Haggard drove for 15 miles before spotting a 13-year-old girl who called an ambulance for him. He recovered fully, but later developed an infection in the bullet wounds which required further surgery.[3]
Musical career
Haggard toured with his sister in the Driftwood Band for three years. Later, he worked on an oil field.[3] He signed with Dimension Records in 1979 and released one single, "Charleston Cotton Mill", which spent three weeks on the Hot Country Songs charts in 1981.[1] At his father's request, Haggard joined his road band, in which he sang harmony and played rhythm guitar.[3]
He decided to begin a solo career again in 1985. He then signed with MTM Records, for which he released four singles under the production of Billy Strange.[2] The most successful of these was "Trains Make Me Lonesome", which peaked at number 57 on the country charts,[1] and which helped him receive a nomination for Top New Male Vocalist from the Academy of Country Music.[5] "Trains Make Me Lonesome" was covered by George Strait on his 1992 album Holding My Own.[6] By 1986, Haggard was married for six years to Shree and had two daughters.[3]
After the MTM singles, Haggard was seriously injured in a car accident, suffering head injury and memory loss which required four years of recovery.[4][5] He signed to Critique Records in 1995 and began recording Christian-themed music. His first Christian album, Borders & Boundaries, was released in 1996,[5] with "Amnesia"[4] and "Here in the Afterlife" as the singles. After stopping at a church in Conway, Arkansas, Haggard decided to take up music ministry.[4]
Haggard has since married Tessa, and had one son named Jamey with her. He has also released two tribute albums to his father.[7]
Discography
Albums
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Borders & Boundaries |
|
| Ready or Not |
|
| The Bridge |
|
| Driftwood |
|
| A Tribute to Merle Haggard, My Dad |
|
| A Tribute to Merle Haggard, My Dad, Volume Two |
|
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions |
Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country[1] | ||||
| 1981 | "Charleston Cotton Mill" | 85 | N/A | |
| 1986 | "Talkin' Blue Eyes" | 62 | ||
| 1987 | "Weekend Cowboys" | 75 | ||
| 1988 | "Trains Make Me Lonesome" | 57 | ||
| "Now You See 'Em, Now You Don't" | 70 | |||
| 1996 | "Amnesia" | — | Borders & Boundaries | |
| "In the Afterlife" | — | |||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||||
Music videos
| Year | Video |
|---|---|
| 1988 | "Trains Make Me Lonesome" |
| 1996 | "In the Afterlife" |
References
- Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. p. 173. ISBN 0-89820-177-2.
- Wood, Gerry (October 4, 1986). "Nashville Scene". Billboard: 34, 38.
- Chu, Daniel (October 20, 1986). "Marty Haggard, Merle's Son, Isn't Singing Dad's Sad Song". People.
- "Former recording artist, son of legend, Haggard finds happiness in serving Christ". Clay County Times Democrat. December 2, 2004. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
- Ditzel, Eleanor. "Marty Haggard biography". AllMusic. Retrieved April 12, 2014.
- Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Holding My Own". AllMusic. Retrieved April 13, 2014.
- "Biography" (PDF). Marty Haggard official website. Retrieved April 12, 2014.
