OK Solberg: 00:01

I wanna again welcome you to the 4:05 Coffee Break. Guys, get your cup of coffee, glass iced tea, tall, cool glass of lemonade, whatever it is you'd like, and let's see what's happening. Spring wheat oh, harvest is upon us. Going down $5.33 a bushel. But a 550 pound steer calf will fetch you $3.99.

OK Solberg: 00:23

A butcher hog in Iowa, 54¢ a pound. And a 100 pound fat lamb in Billings, $2 and a nickel. But guys, there's more, much more. It's August 6, my nephew James' birthday. Happy birthday, James, and thanks for everything you've done for me, and I mean that.

OK Solberg: 00:48

If you tuned in yesterday, you know that I highlighted Merle Haggard and I shared a rest of the story with you from Paul Harvey, the legend himself. So today, well, more about Merle. But first, let me find a Bible verse that fits this theme. I think this one fits it to a T. There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.

OK Solberg: 01:23

Proverbs fourteen twelve, oh yeah, but its end is the way to death. Listen to some true words from the story of Merle Haggard. In February 1958, he was in Bakersfield Jail charged with attempted robbery from which he escaped. Then he was recaptured. He went to California's legendary San Quentin for a three to fifteen year stretch.

OK Solberg: 01:53

Now, San Quentin was and still is a terrifying, rough and brutal place. The bad news is that it offers little but misery and hard time. The good news, they never run short of it. Assault, murder and rape are seen as everyday events because in San Quentin, they are everyday events. Haggard described his arrival bluntly.

OK Solberg: 02:24

He said, we pulled up in a bus late at night and the walls are like 70 feet tall and there's armed guards everywhere and and if you're not scared, there's something wrong with you. It's a bad place to go. Remember how our bible verses ended? It's but its end is the way to death. Yesterday we heard he'd seen a con.

OK Solberg: 02:54

Merle saw a con kill another con over a simple insult. Yet another inmate was purposely scalded to death in the prison laundry. Oh, it's true. There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. Merle Haggard found himself inside a prison, and he knew quickly he didn't wanna stay.

OK Solberg: 03:20

And as we heard yesterday, thought about trying to escape in the judge's desk like Rabbit Kendrick did, but he passed it up at the last minute. Then guys, something great happened. And you wonder why I always use a Johnny Cash stamp? I bought $1,400 of them way back in 2013. I wanna be sitting in the nursing home still using my Johnny Cash stamps.

OK Solberg: 03:53

But then something great happened. Inspiration came from several sources. On 01/01/1959, Johnny Cash did a concert in San Quentin. It was a rousing success, both for Cash and for the inmates who very seldom got to see outside performers. Haggard was known in the prison as a guitarist and singer, and well, with Cash's recent visit in mind, he soon found himself besieged by other inmates wanting to learn to play the guitar.

OK Solberg: 04:32

As Haggard described Cash's visit, he had the right attitude. He chewed gum, he looked arrogant, flipped the bird to the guards. He did everything the prisoners wanted to do, end of quote. Now you can think what you wanna think about that, but I know for a fact that because Johnny Cash came into the prison, that was a turning point for Merle. Guys, I used to work with youth ranch boys.

OK Solberg: 05:00

I'd pick them up from jail most of the time and I'd buy them a meal and we would visit. We'd visit all the way till we got to the youth ranch from Great Falls or Libbey or Missoula. Treating them like normal people had a huge impact on them. And when they learned you understood them, I'm not kidding you, they would die to protect you. Johnny Cash took Merle under his wing and it changed his life.

OK Solberg: 05:31

Haggard took to redeeming himself. He earned his high school equivalency at San Quentin playing in a prison band, and on 11/03/1960, he was paroled, having been offered a job by his brother. There I end the story for today, but please tune in again tomorrow and I'll get to cover a few of his 38, 38 number one hits. Can you believe it? That is a benchmark.

OK Solberg: 06:01

That is classic country. Merle Haggard is a success story. So until next time, as you go out there, remember now, don't be bitter.