Jamey Johnson Honors Country Music Icon Merle Haggard With Cover of 'Pretty When It's New'

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Country music artist Jamey Johnson has released a cover of Merle Haggard's 2010 song 'Pretty When It's New' to honor the legendary singer-songwriter on what would have been Haggard's 89th birthday. Haggard, known as the 'Poet of the Common Man,' had a storied career with 38 number-one hits on the US country charts and a reputation for gritty, honest songwriting that gave a voice to the working class and those on the fringes of society. Johnson, considered one of the modern ambassadors carrying on Haggard's traditional country music legacy, recorded the tribute track as part of a wave of country artists paying homage to the late icon.

Why it matters

Merle Haggard is widely regarded as one of the most influential and iconic figures in country music history, with a catalog of hits that defined the 'Bakersfield sound' and captured the struggles and experiences of everyday working-class Americans. Jamey Johnson's cover of 'Pretty When It's New' helps continue the legacy of Haggard's music and songwriting by a contemporary artist who is seen as carrying the torch for traditional country values and sound.

The details

Jamey Johnson released his cover of Merle Haggard's 2010 song 'Pretty When It's New' on what would have been Haggard's 89th birthday, April 6, 2026. The track is Johnson's tribute to the country music legend, who passed away in 2016 at the age of 79. Haggard, known for hits like 'Mama Tried,' 'Okie from Muskogee,' and 'Workin' Man Blues,' was a Grammy winner, CMA and ACM Awards Entertainer of the Year, and Country Music Hall of Famer who helped define the 'Bakersfield sound' and gave a voice to the working class through his honest, gritty songwriting.

• Merle Haggard passed away on his 79th birthday in 2016.
• Merle Haggard would have turned 89 years old on April 6, 2026.