Merle Haggard's 45th Anniversary 'OKIE FROM MUSKOGEE' to Be Released, 3/25

Originally released in December 1969, the live album OKIE FROM MUSKOGEE was released shortly after the single "Okie From Muskogee" reached No. 1 on the Billboard Country Singles Chart. The song served to refute the counter-culture of the late 1960s while extolling the virtues of a small-town, conservative lifestyle and immediately became a signature tune for Haggard. The album, recorded live in Muskogee, Oklahoma, won the Academy of Country Music award for Album of the Year in 1969, Top Male Vocalist, and Single of the Year for "Okie from Muskogee."

The OKIE FROM MUSKOGEE ANNIVERSARY EDITION also includes the long out of print 1970 live recording, THE FIGHTIN' SIDE OF ME. Originally released in 1970, it was yet another record in his catalog to reach number one on the charts. The album has been long out of print and a sought after gem for collectors. This is the first time audiences will be able to own a remastered CD/digital version of THE FIGHTIN' SIDE OF ME in 40 years. Remastered from the original analog tapes, the 2-CD OKIE FROM MUSKOGEE ANNIVERSARY EDITION is a unique Merle Haggard live experience that will remind fans new and old why Haggard is not only a Country Music legend but one of the great live performers of our generation.