Dana Haggard, Talented Vocalist and Daughter of Merle Haggard, Passes Away

Dana Haggard, the oldest daughter of the late country legend Merle Haggard, has reportedly passed away. The news was shared by her brother Ben via a post on his official Instagram account The circumstances around Dana Haggard’s death are currently unclear. Dana Haggard was born in 1957 to Merle and his first wife, Leona Hobbs. She grew up in the family’s now-famous boxcar home, which is now a museum. She previously toured with her brother Marty as Marty and Dana Haggard and the Driftwood Band before joining her father’s band, The Strangers. Over the years, she often sang backing vocals for her father while he was out on tour. She also regularly performed solo shows and gigs alongside her brother, Noel. During a hometown memorial service for Merle in Bakersfield, Calif., Dana took a moment to describe her special relationship with her father.“My dad was a lot deeper than anybody saw,” she told Bakersfield.com in 2016. “He loved to pick our brains. We never got in trouble for any thought we had, but he always played devil’s advocate with us. There were a lot of layers to that onion.” Wide Open Country will update this story as more information becomes available.