Country music legend Merle Haggard has passed away at the age of 79, but his musical talent lives on though his son Ben, who was the lead guitarist of his father's band. Ben captured their bond in a photo posted on social media only hours after fans learned of Merle's death.
— Ben Haggard (@BenHaggardMusic) April 6, 2016
The Okie From Muskogee himself would have struggled to write a country song that captures the raw emotion of this image. In a post on his Facebook page, Ben captioned the photo, "A week ago dad told us he was gonna pass on his birthday, and he wasn't wrong. A hour ago he took his last breath surrounded by family and friends. He loved everything about life and he loved that everyone of you gave him a chance with his music. He wasn't just a country singer.. He was the best country singer that ever lived."
