When Merle Haggard passed away a couple of weeks ago, people mourned around the world. Ronnie Dunn was one of them. Ronnie says when he was a kid, he didn’t like country music; he thought it was depressing, because it was about cheating, drinking, or dying. But Merle’s music stood out to him. Through the years they became friends and Merle even sang at his birthday party once, but just like any fan around their hero, Ronnie still found himself speechless at times.

He recalls a special memory and says, “Hag’s manager called me just a short while back to come to Reba’s Starstruck Studio and hang out while he was recording. I’m really glad that I went down. I always clammed up around him. I never knew how to talk to him. The same way that I felt around Johnny Cash.”

Check Ronnie’s Facebook page to hear a song he wrote for Merle.

More Ronnie Dunn Notes

A song Ronnie recorded in 2013 as a birthday present to Merle Haggard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxK4p3E_9Bc

Ronnie’s next album will be out later this year.