Merle Haggard Cancels Two Concerts in New Mexico

Due to health issues, Merle Haggard has canceled two upcoming concerts.

The country icon was scheduled to perform at Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort & Casino in Mescalero, N.M., on Saturday (Jan. 30) and at the Farmington Civic Center Ballroom in Farmington, N.M., on Sunday (Jan. 31); however, both dates have been canceled due to unspecified health reasons. All tickets will be refunded at the point of purchase.

Details about Haggard's health were kept vague in the information released by both venues, but a tweet from Haggard's son Ben, to a ticketholder for one of the canceled shows, explains, simply, "double pneumonia." The elder Haggard was forced to postpone some December tour dates due to a bout of double pneumonia that sent him to the hospital.

In an interview later that month, Haggard admitted that it was a very good thing he sought treatment when he did.

“I guess I was nearly dead,” Haggard explained, though it’s not clear how much of an exaggeration that statement was. “They couldn’t tell whether I had cancer returned or whether I just had pneumonia. They had to wait until they got the pneumonia under control before we could tell."

On Thursday afternoon (Jan. 28), Ben Haggard tweeted to clarify his original message: His father "isn't sick again, he's just still recovering ... Takes awhile to get back to normal!"

According to his website, Merle Haggard's next scheduled concert is on Feb. 2 in Riverside, Calif. The show happens to be one of the ones that was postponed during the singer's original bout of double pneumonia.

More information about Haggard's upcoming tour dates is available on his website.

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