Merle Haggard Cancels January Tour Dates

Merle Haggard has canceled his remaining January dates, due to a respiratory illness that landed him in a Georgia Hospital on Tuesday night.

The 74 year-old Country Music Hall of Famer was about to play show on Tuesday night, January 17, when it was determined that he was too ill to perform.  According to Rolling Stone, Haggard's tour manager, Frank Mull, acknowledged that the singer wasn't well when he left his California home to go on tour. Mull said, "He thought he was well enough to work and he did work three dates, and he got progressively worse."

Merle Haggard has been an active legend in Country Music, recording and touring on a regular basis over the last decade.  Recent projects include 'Last of the Breed,' a project with Willie Nelson and Ray Price, 'Kickin' Out The Footlights,' a project with George Jones, 2010's 'I Am What I Am,' and his new 2011 solo album 'Working In Tennessee.'

Check out Merle Haggard's new single 'Working In Tennessee'