Merle Haggard dies at 79; prolific country music outlaw brought the Bakersfield sound

Merle Haggard, the prolific singer-songwriter who sang of his law-breaking Bakersfield youth and penned a seemingly effortless stream of natural, storytelling lyrics with vast popular appeal — nearly 100 of his songs made the Billboard charts — has died at his home near Redding, said his spokeswoman...