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Artist News Releases
Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy to release Merle Haggard covers album
By Andy Malt | Published on Thursday 9 March 2017
Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, aka Will Oldham, has announced that he will release a new album of Merle Haggard covers, titled ‘Best Troubador’, on 5 May. Oldham has often cited Haggard, who died last year, as a major influence on his music.
“Merle Haggard is a channeler who has paid ample tribute to those that came before him”, says Oldham. “He has demonstrated explicitly and implicitly his standing on the shoulders of Tommy Duncan/Bob Wills, Jimmie Rodgers, Floyd Tillman, Lefty Frizzell and many others. There are songs in his catalogue that seep solidly into the headspace of Kentuckians who grew up when I did, and beyond through his vast influence on the George Straits, Dwight Yoakams, Alan Jacksons, John Andersons, Toby Keiths, and too many others. He is not the original, but he may be the most significant junction”.
Songs on the record span 1967 to 2011, with Oldham choosing sixteen of his personal favourite songs from Haggard’s vast catalogue.
Watch the 360° video for ‘Mama Said’ here;