`` The thing I hope I have in common with the people out there is honesty , '' he says . Critics have dubbed Merle Haggard the `` Poet of the Common Man '' Haggard , 75 , calls himself a walking miracle and credits God for keeping him healthy . He has been in poor health since his last album was released in 2003.
Critics have dubbed Merle Haggard the `` Poet of the Common Man '' Haggard , 75 , calls himself a walking miracle and credits God for keeping him healthy . He has been in poor health since his last album was released in 2003.