What was Merle Haggard in jail for?

Branded. In 1958, at the age of 20, Merle Haggard was sent to San Quentin prison after being convicted for burglary and attempted escape from county jail. While serving a 2 1/2-year term, he played in the prison's country band and took high school equivalency courses.Feb 14, 2017 read more

In 1958, at the age of 20, Merle Haggard was sent to San Quentin prison after being convicted for burglary and attempted escape from county jail. While serving a 2 1/2-year term, he played in the prison's country band and took high school equivalency courses. read more

It’s pretty common knowledge that Merle Haggard served hard time at San Quentin Prison in California in the late 1950s for robbery and escaping from other jails and prisons, making him one of the few country singers to sing about prison life who actually lived that life. read more

But Merle Haggard hoped the world would remember him as "the greatest jazz guitar player in the world that loved to play country." On December 5, 2015, Haggard was treated at an undisclosed hospital in California for pneumonia. read more