Merle Haggard probably doesn't sleep well at night knowing what's become of his beloved country music. Every time Kenny Chesney sashays across a stage, ol' Hag must want to dig out a revolver and make it all go away. Can you blame him? This is the guy who finished what Buck Owens started, who made the Bakersfield, California, scene a watershed in country history. His electric songs, such as "Mama Tried" and "Tulare Dust," aimed for the hearts of the working man and offered perspectives on male identity. Today, more than 40 years after his first hit, Haggard represents the bridge between Hank Williams and the Velveeta popfest that Nashville has become. It's ironic, then, that Haggard-influenced artists such as Randy Travis and Clint Black helped cause country's shift from personal songs to tunes mass-produced like boy-band singles. Put the gun down, Merle. Then again, there are plenty of folks you could point it at.
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