Merle Haggard's House (Former)

This ranch house located in Palo Cedro, California was home to singer Merle Haggard for over 40 years.

Merle Ronald Haggard, born April 6, 1937, is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and instrumentalist. Merle’s childhood was spent in a remodeled boxcar with his family. After his father died when he was nine years old, Merle became rebellious. When he was 20, he was sentenced to five years in San Quentin prison for burglary and for breaking out of jail. In San Quentin, he was in the audience for the famous Johnny Cash performance and it inspired him to turn his life around. In 1960, paroled after three years, he began performing. He, along with Buck Owens and The Strangers, created the “Bakersfield Sound”, an over-produced honky-tonk version of the Nashville sound. Merle went on to have 40 Number #1 hits. Among his top hits are “Sing a Sad Song”, “The Fugitive” and “Okie from Muskogee”. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1994.

Merle was married five times and has six kids (Noel, Kelli, Dana, Marty, Ben and Jenessa). After beating lung cancer in 2009, Merle passed away in 2016 in his Palo Cedro home on his 79th birthday from double pneumonia. At that time, he had 11 grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

Merle’s home, located east of Redding, California was situated on the north end of nearly 200 acres just outside of town. Merle originally owned 900, but was forced to sell most of it in 1993 after declaring bankruptcy. Merle and his brother Lowell moved to this area in 1976 after vacationing here. The property houses several dwellings including a Spanish style house until mold forced them out. At the time of his passing, Merle and his fifth wife were living in a stucco bungalow where his drummer used to live. The house offers a stained glass foyer with gold records, island kitchen and a pool with mountain views.

At the time of his passing, Merle Haggard was worth an estimated $40 Million from his recording career.