Vince Gill’s Broken Heart Pieced Back Together With Handwritten Tribute To Merle Haggard
on Apr 26, 2016 • Updated Jan 16, 2019
On April 6th, 2016, the world of music was shattered with the news of legendary outlaw, Merle Haggard’s, passing.
Heartbreaking news. Merle Haggard passed away on his 79th birthday today. Today we lost a legend. RIP #ThanksMerle pic.twitter.com/LJnzL47xrh
— 947 QDR (@947WQDR) April 6, 2016
It not only left millions upon millions of fans in utter shock, but also broke the hearts of a seemingly endless number of artists, too.
Vince Gill was one of those artists deeply affected by the loss of an icon. Just a week later, the singer was performing at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville and decided to kick off the healing process with a special tribute to the one and only, Merle Haggard.
Vince Gill & Merle Haggard. Written feature in Americana Magazine by Carrie Freedle; Photography by Piper Ferguson (@piperferguson) pic.twitter.com/tfyiureCl5
— Americana Magazine (@americana_mag) June 10, 2017
Gill, a longtime friend and fan of Haggard, penned a powerful song in remembrance of his idol and mentor that accurately represents what many of us feel.
“I’m lost in a world without Haggard,
Who’ll tell the truth to you and me?
It’s a world I thought I would never see”
https://twitter.com/bakersfieldday/status/813047434909597696
The entire performance is beautifully heartbreaking and features an incredible guitar break from Gill’s longtime friend and former bandmate, Paul Franklin.
Watch this amazing one-of-a-kind tribute, “A World Without Haggard”, in the video below.
