ok, my dad was. He was born in 1950 in oildale saved his money and bought his first guitar an Ovation Acoustic. He loved Merle he went to his concerts and had some autographs. He used to sing Merle's songs to me, there was one off the 1996 ALBUM that was called Beer  Can hill , we sang it together and drove around oildale looking at places he grew up. He died in 1998 and i have that guitar, its the only possession i have that i would run into a burning building for.

 thanks for the blog & roll =D

This is how songs are born. Your story is a very touching one.  I think your story about you and your dad may have just inspired a brand new song, Annie.  Although they may not have called your dad "Merle Man," songwriting sometimes involves adding just a touch of fiction to the facts.  Therefore, the working title is...

Merle Man

words and music by Dr BLT copyright 2008

He was born in 1950

in Oildale

he didn't have a penny to his name

as he grew up

well, folks just called him Merle Man

and some say he was Haggard's biggest fan

they called him Merle Man

he was a huge fan

and he saved each penny

for his first guitar

they called him Merle Man

'cause he was his biggest fan

and he followed Haggard

all across this land

well one day he had a daughter and he played her

Beer Can Hill

as they drove 'round Oildale

right down memory lane

well one day her daddy passed away

but he left her his guitar

and the guitar helps to take away

the pain

they called him Merle Man

he was a huge fan

and he saved each penny

for his first guitar

they called him Merle Man

'cause he was his biggest fan

and he followed Haggard

all across this land

 can i print this out and put it into the photo album i have for him?

this is sooo cool

 Absolutely.  I appreciate your appreciation and I'm grateful for the inspiration you've provided. 

 Aww you know I drive around town and show Zachary all the places I've lived went to school,..I tell him stories of  when I was his age.  Which reminds me I have rode my bike  all over the south to south west part of town.  Ha ha I think he was amazed by how much of an area I covered. From BHS to Ming , Chester/Union to CSUB. When I was a kid most of the places that I rode past were just fields. And I mean in those boundaries I was everywhere! no stone unturned.