Miranda Lambert leads Merle Haggard tribute show

Country stars Miranda Lambert, Kenny Chesney, and Willie Nelson will be celebrating the life of Merle Haggard at an upcoming tribute show in Nashville, Tennessee.
The veteran country rocker died on his 79th birthday last April (16), and now his son Ben has announced plans for a special send off to honour Merle’s memory on the first anniversary of his death.
An All-Star Concert Celebration Sing Me Back Home: The Music of Merle Haggard will also feature performances by Dierks Bentley, Loretta Lynn, Hank Williams, Jr., Alison Krauss, Jamey Johnson, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Ronnie Dunn, and Kacey Musgraves, among many others.
Ben Haggard, a musician in his own right, will also hit the stage.
“I am so very thankful for this tribute to my husband, Merle Haggard,” his widow Theresa Haggard said in a statement. “Please come join me and my family at this fantastic show that Merle would be so proud of.”
A portion of the ticket proceeds from the event will be donated to the T.J. Martell Foundation, to help fund cancer and AIDS research.
Lambert is an ideal addition to the line-up – she received the inaugural Merle Haggard Spirit Award at the Academy of Country Music (ACM) Honors last August (16). The accolade honours “uncompromising artists in the spirit of Merle Haggard”, while acknowledging “a man who has figured prominently in ACM history”.