Country music legend Merle Haggard has died at age 79.

He died on his birthday.

Haggard had been in ill health recently and had to cancel concert dates while he battled pneumonia.

The Bakersfield Californian confirmed the news.

Fans took to social media to remember Haggard, who was known as the "poet of the common man" because of his dedication to writing songs for and about the working class.

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Inventor Lonnie Johnson stands with his Super Soaker water guns at JTEC Energy on Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025, in Atlanta. Johnson, a former NASA engineer, is currently working on a new energy technology through his company’s JTEC device that turns thermal heat into usable energy. (Natrice Miller/AJC)