Country singer Ben Haggard went straight to the major leagues, performing on stage at 15 as the lead guitarist of his father’s band, The Strangers. He said, “I never had any experience on stage, and I had to adapt or essentially not play.” But he didn’t regret it because it taught him many things. And now, he has grown confident in his own skin. In fact, part of his music repertoire covers Merle Haggard’s songs, like “Footlights” from The Hag’s 1979 album Serving 190 Proof.
Ben’s voice carries hints of his father’s well-worn gravitas, and at times, it could fool. That is, if you happened to be just listening to his voice, you would’ve thought it was Merle Haggard singing. And that was exactly what went down in his stripped-down rendition of his father’s track “Footlights” in collaboration with Fender.
Ben Haggard’s Rendition
Down in the Nashville Palace, Ben Haggard sat down with his guitar to perform his rendition of “Footlights” – a track that tells the story of a musician, the struggles and sacrifices of being in the spotlight – a poignant reflection of his father’s life.
And just like his other covers, this song revered the original material. Not to mention that he also knew how to nail his old man’s signatures, such as the vocal slides down. But it wasn’t just that. His deep connection with his father’s music allowed him to deliver a genuine understanding of the emotional nuances of the song.
For You
Aside from the delivery, his skillful guitar play was also worth noting.
According to Ben, his father told him that when playing, he should learn a song’s melody all the way through. “He hates hearing somebody playing a thousand notes: He’d rather somebody play the melody so the people can understand it.” And he did as he was told. When he mastered that, the next level was to replicate the highly advanced signature style of the greats who played on his father’s recordings, like Grady Martin, Roy Nichols, and Reggie Young.
He graduated from the garage to the stage at 15. Merle was critical of him for a while, but he eventually got to a place where he earned his father’s smile. Years later, the smile became a natural part of his scenery. In his cover, those years of learning and playing on stage definitely shone through.
Catch Ben Haggard’s rendition of “Footlights” in the video below.
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