Many country fans know that Merle Haggard was a top-notch singer, songwriter, and musician. However, some may not know that he was also a master impersonator. He regularly did impressions of his fellow country stars Johnny Cash and Marty Robbins. He didn’t just copy their voices. He also took on their mannerisms and facial expressions. Some of the best clips of these impressions came while he was covering their song.
Videos by American Songwriter
In the video below, Haggard channeled the Man in Black himself. He took on Cash’s stage presence and mannerisms, and the crowd loved it. Then, he called his then-wife and fellow country singer, Bonnie Owens. She took the place of June Carter Cash as they performed a rendition of “Jackson.”
Merle Haggard and Bonnie Owens Perform an Iconic Duet
Merle Haggard and Bonnie Owens joined a long line of A-list artists to cover “Jackson.”
Billy Edd Wheeler co-penned the song with Jerry Leiber, who co-wrote Elvis Presley classics like “Hound Dog” and “Jailhouse Rock,” according to Songfacts.
Wheeler released his version of the song in 1963. The same year, the Kingston Trio and Flatt & Scruggs recorded covers of the song. However, the most popular version came four years later when Johnny Cash and June Carter cut it for Cash’s greatest hits collection. It was the collection’s sole single and peaked at No. 2 on the country chart. It also brought Cash and Carter a Grammy Award.
Cash and Carter weren’t the only ones to find success with the song. Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood had a pop hit with it in 1967. Their rendition reached No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Many listeners have wondered which Jackson the song is about. “Actually, I didn’t have a specific Jackson in mind,” Wheeler revealed in an interview. “I just liked the sharp consonant sound as opposed to soft-sounding words like Nashville,” he explained.
Featured Image by Roger Ressmeyer/CORBIS/VCG via Getty Images
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