Haggard's family, along with Bill and Shannon Miller, the founders of Icon Entertainment Group, revealed plans for the new Merle Haggard Museum and Merle's Meat + 3 Saloon, which will be located at 121 Third Avenue South in Nashville. It is expected to open in the summer of 2018. The building will house the restaurant on the ground level, and the museum on the upper floor. The Merle-themed restaurant and bar will include first-class, Southern home cooking and a saloon.
This museum will include curated performance wardrobes, instruments, professional and personal possessions, as well as interactive exhibits, so that Haggard's fans will be treated to a special experience.
Bill and Shannon Miller are the owners of the
Johnny Cash and
Patsy Cline Museums, and ironically enough, the Merle Haggard Museum will be located next door.
Haggard's illustrious career in country music spanned six decades. In 1994, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. He was ranked by
Rolling Stone Magazine and
Billboard Magazine as the "No. 1 Country Entertainer of All-time." Haggard passed away on his 79th birthday, on April 6, 2016.
Digital Journal chatted with
Merle Haggard back in 2013.
To learn more about the musical legacy of Merle Haggard, check out his
official website.
