Merle Haggard Hospitalized With Pneumonia, Cancels Shows

Country legend had been sick since leaving his California home last week but had been hoping to maintain his performance schedule, rep says

By Natalie Finn Jan 19, 2012 8:26 PMTags
Merle HaggardNoel Vasquez/Getty Images

Here's hoping Merle Haggard's fightin' side is out in full force.

The country-music legend is suffering from pneumonia and was hospitalized Tuesday night in Macon, Ga., forcing him to cancel all of his scheduled performances this month, according to his reps.

Haggard's tour manager said that the 74-year-old artist had been ill since leaving his California home last week, but had hit the road in hopes of being able to play.

Sure enough, Haggard didn't officially pull the plug on his Macon show Tuesday until seven minutes before the scheduled 7:30 p.m. start time, according to the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, after which Wednesday's concert in Columbus, Ga., and Sunday's show in Columbia, S.C., were also canceled.

Ticket holders were eligible for full refunds, promoter Mike Blackwell said.

Haggard, an epic smoker for decades, underwent surgery to have part of his lung removed after being diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer in November 2008. He started recording and touring again less than two months later and announced that he was trying to kick both his tobacco and marijuana habits.

The three-time Grammy winner and member of the Country Music Hall of Fame was feted along with Oprah Winfrey, Paul McCartney,  Broadway composer Jerry Herman and director-choreographer Bill T. Jones at the Kennedy Center Honors in 2010.