Country music icon Merle Haggard will play a sold-out concert to be opened by the band the Seven Devils at 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28, at the Clearwater River Casino Event Center outside Lewiston. In honor of his second visit, here’s a quiz to test your knowledge of The Hag.
1. As a child Haggard lived with his family in which abode? (a) A barn (b) A boxcar (c) A tent
2. Haggard served prison time for which crime? (a) Growing marijuana (b) Robbery (c) Tax evasion
3. Which U.S. president granted Haggard a pardon while he was on parole? (a) Richard Nixon (b) Jimmy Carter (c) Ronald Reagan
4. Who is Haggard working on a new album with? (a) Shooter Jennings (b) Elmo (c) Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson
5. How many No. 1 hits does Haggard have under his belt? (a) 38 (b) 54 (c) 22
ANSWERS
1. (b) Haggard’s parents moved to California after their Oklahoma farm burned down and his father found work as a carpenter for the Santa Fe Railroad. The family lived in an old boxcar that they converted into a home.
2. (b) Haggard was sent to San Quentin prison in the 1950s after trying to rob a roadhouse. He was one of the inmates in the audience in 1958 when Johnny Cash performed there.
3. (c) Ronald Reagan pardoned Haggard in 1972 while serving as governor of California.
4. (c) After the trio performed at the recent Grammy Awards, Willie Nelson told Billboard that they are collaborating on an album that could be released as early as 2014.
5. (a) Haggard boasts 38 No. 1 hits and 250 original songs.
