Remember When: Merle Haggard Played the Grand Ole Opry One Last Time

On May 12, 1967, Merle Haggard made his Grand Ole Opry debut performing his 1966 hits “The Bottle Let Me Down” and “Swinging Doors.” By the time he stepped on the Opry stage for the first time, Haggard had released his third album I’m a Lonesome Fugitive, and earned his first No. 1 country hit “The Fugitive.”

Throughout his career, Haggard would continue to perform at the Opry, including his final performance just months before his death.

[RELATED: The Story Behind the Final Song Merle Haggard Wrote From His Hospital Bed]

The Opry Turns 90

In 2015, the Grand Ole Opry turned 90 and a special all-star concert was scheduled to commemorate the milestone on October 17, 2015, at Ryman Auditorium. Haggard previously performed at the Opry for its 45th anniversary in 1970 and returned to celebrate its 90, alongside Trace Adkins, Larry Gatlin, the Oak Ridge Boys, Little Big Town, Carrie Underwood, Jeannie Seely, cast members from the ABC show Nashville, and more who were also scheduled to perform.

Introduced by longtime duet partner and friend Connie Smith, Haggard surprised the audience at Ryman and went into a four-song set of “Big City,” “Silver Wings,” and “The Fightin’ Side of Me,” before closing with his 1980 No. 1 hit “I Think I’ll Just Stay Here and Drink.”

At the time Haggard’s health was deteriorating, after being diagnosed with lung cancer in 2008 and battling heart and respiratory issues in the later years of his life. When he wasn’t in the hospital, Haggard went back on the road against the doctor’s wishes.

Never a Grand Ole Member

Inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1977 and the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1994, Haggard performed at the Opry many times throughout his career but never became a member due to performance obligations. Since Haggard lived in California and didn’t fly, committing to 12 Opry shows a year would have been difficult.

Haggard’s final appearance at the Opry came nearly seven months before his death on April 6, 2016, on his 79th birthday. Nearly two months before he died, Haggard also delivered an 18-song set during his final concert at the Paramount Theatre in Oakland, California on February 13, closing on his classic “Okie From Muskogee.” 

In 2022, the Opry hosted a tribute to Haggard (Opry Salutes Merle Haggard ), hosted by Clint Black, and featuring performances by Marty Haggard, Lainey Wilson, Suzy Bogguss, Cody Johnson, Joe Nichols, Eli “Paperboy” Reed, and more.

“I’m no longer what I was years ago,” said Haggard in 2010. “I’m an old guy. And I may in some ways have more wisdom. If we were chosen to be certain people back in the first Earth age, I must have been a good guy, because I got to be somebody interesting in this life. It’s been tough and it’s been hard and it’s been glorious, but it’s never been boring.”

He added, “I just wanna be remembered as a guy who tried to be as honest as you can be. I’ve given my life for music. And I’m in it for life. I’ll be here until I go out. I’m a lifer.”

Photo: Merle Haggard performing in 2015 (Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images for Big Barrel)