Rare News Desk
When Merle Haggard passed away on April 6, the country music world was devastated.
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And so were we.
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Some stars offered their condolences, while others paid tribute in some special way. As for Vince Gill, he wrote a song called “A World Without Haggard.” And it was Vince’s ballad to “The Hag” that said it best. It said all of the things that we wanted to say about the late legend.
So on June 9, during a concert in New Orleans, Travis Tritt borrowed Vince’s farewell lyrics to pay homage to our beloved Merle.
Flying solo for the song, Travis charmed in a royal blue-colored suit jacket. Armed with an acoustic guitar, he strummed softly and solemnly sang “A World Without Haggard.” Hearing Travis croon the heartfelt tune sure is a change of pace from his signature husky voice on songs like “T-R-O-U-B-L-E,” “I’m Gonna Be Somebody (Country Club)” and “It’s a Great Day To Be Alive.”
Clearly, he put all of his emotions into this one.
When Merle died, Travis released a statement about his hero saying, “He was more than just a great talent. He was a true modern day poet for the common blue-collar worker. His lyrics gave a voice to an entire class of people who couldn’t put their feelings into words.”
