On This Day in 1966, Merle Haggard Recorded His First No. 1 Single “I’m a Lonesome Fugitive”

On this day (August 1) in 1966, Merle Haggard recorded “The Fugitive” at the Capitol Recording Studio in Hollywood, California. The song would go on to be Haggard’s first No. 1 single and the cornerstone of his early career.

Haggard embraced the Bakersfield Sound early in his career. Later on, he fell under the Outlaw Country umbrella. Interestingly, he is one of the few country outlaws who actually had run-ins with the law. He was famously doing time in San Quentin when a Johnny Cash concert inspired him to chase his dream of being a musician. When he released his debut single “Singin’ My Heart Out” in 1962, he wasn’t far removed from his days in one of America’s most infamous prisons. The shadow of his past was still hanging over him when he released his third album I’m a Lonesome Fugitive in 1967.

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“The Fugitive” which later became “I’m a Lonesome Fugitive” sounds like Haggard could have written it about his past. However, that’s not the case. Liz and Casey Anderson, parents of country artist Lynn Anderson wrote it. The popular TV show The Fugitive inspired the track.

Merle Haggard Finds Success with “I’m a Lonesome Fugitive”

Merle Haggard and the Strangers released “I’m a Lonesome Fugitive” as the sole single and title track from their 1967 album. The song went to the top of the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, giving Haggard his first No. 1. The single helped fuel sales for the album which peaked at No. 3 on the publication’s Top Country Albums chart.

In an interview, Haggard recalled how he came to record “I’m a Lonesome Fugitive.”

“I was playing Sacramento one night and I’d had a couple of hit records that went into the top five but I hadn’t had a No. 1 record yet,” he recalled. “This lady came to the show and she had these songs. She wanted us to go out and hear these songs and cut records for her and I didn’t want to go. My brother talked me into it. We got out there and she sang me about five No. 1 songs and ‘The Fugitive’ was one of them. Her name was Liz Anderson,” he added.

“She was responsible for giving me my first No. 1 song,” he said of Anderson.

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