Country Legend Merle Haggard Dies On 79th Birthday

News has surfaced this morning that Californian country music multi-instrumentalist Merle Haggard has passed away at his home in California, on his 79th birthday.

As Pitchfork reports, Haggard was hospitalised earlier this year due to pneumonia — according to TMZ, his manager says Haggard's passing this morning was because he was weary from battling the disease for so long. 

Peculiarly passing away on his birthday, his son Ben Haggard writes on Facebook that the legend seemed to have predicted his death.

"A week ago dad told us he was gonna pass on his birthday, and he wasn't wrong.

"A hour ago he took his last breath surrounded by family and friends. He loved everything about life and he loved that everyone of you gave him a chance with his music. He wasn't just a country singer.. He was the best country singer that ever lived," Haggard's son posted.

Haggard was inducted into both the Country Music Hall Of Fame and the Oklahoma Music Hall Of Fame in the '90s and enjoyed 38 #1 singles on the Billboard Country charts, including The Bottle Let Me Down, Mama Tried and Sing Me Back Home.

Many musicians, from The Grateful Dead to Emmylou Harris to Dolly Parton, covered Haggard's songs over the years, and he had worked at length with Willie Nelson.

https://t.co/U5K6E3CpSe pic.twitter.com/wcvEZbCBFP

— Willie Nelson (@willienelson) April 6, 2016

Bye Merle Haggard. You've had a significant impact on my life. #silverwings

— lily (@lilyallen) April 6, 2016

Merle Haggard. The man , the songs , the voice, the attitude - Iconic. pic.twitter.com/yvykBkUdUn

— Tim McGraw (@TheTimMcGraw) April 6, 2016

all due respect to legend Merle Haggard https://t.co/OKuo6ZMRVS

— Questlove Gomez (@questlove) April 6, 2016

At my wedding, my mother and I danced to a Merle Haggard song. And what a song: https://t.co/Og5moQT6qf Godspeed, Merle.

— John Green (@johngreen) April 6, 2016

God bless Merle Haggard peace and love to all his family Merle was a hero of mine peace and love

— #RingoStarr (@ringostarrmusic) April 6, 2016

Sad to have lost this Country music legend #MerleHaggard #RIP pic.twitter.com/CYHgjevjp6

— Reese Witherspoon (@RWitherspoon) April 6, 2016