At 67, Marty Haggard, the eldest son of country legend Merle Haggard, has finally spoken out about a truth he kept hidden for decades… From a young age, Marty stood in the glow of the stage lights — but never felt like he belonged there. To the world, he was “Merle’s son” — expected to carry the musical torch, to sing like his father, to become the next legend in line. But deep inside, Marty questioned himself. “I used to think, if I couldn’t succeed like my dad… then I was letting everyone down. I was always afraid I was just a faint shadow behind him.” Marty wasn’t lacking in talent. His voice — deeper, more reflective — carried its own soul. He toured. He wrote. He sang with quiet conviction. But the constant comparisons and unspoken expectations silenced him for years. Now, in his late sixties, Marty is finally at peace. No more resentment. No more hiding. Just a son who’s learned to embrace who he is — not because of the Haggard name, but because of the truth he brings to every note. “I’m no longer trying to be Merle Haggard,” he says. “I just want to be Marty — and sing what’s real from my heart.”
Introduction “Driftwood” is a deeply moving ballad recorded by American country singer-songwriter Marty Haggard, featured...