Famous for ‘Okie From Muskogee’ and ‘The Fightin’ Side of Me’.

Legendary country musician Merle Haggard has died today due to complications from pneumonia in his home in North Carolina, as CNN reports. It was his 79th birthday.

The ‘Okie From Muskogee’ singer’s career spanned over six decades, a long and positive turn after an tumultuous early life including a stint in San Quentin. ‘Muskogee’ was specifically inspired by his experience in prison, as he was disheartened by some of the protests during the Vietnam War, feeling the kids demanding their freedom from the draft did not understand what it was actually like to have your liberties taken away.