Released in 1968, Merle Haggard wrote and recorded “Mama Tried,” a song about how his stay in San Quentin jail in ’57 affected his mother. The song went to No. 1 on Billboard‘s country charts; and has since been covered by a diverse range of artists, including the Grateful Dead, the Everly Brothers, and Joan Baez. Here’s a live version of the late Haggard doing the song.
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![[L-R] Bill Berry, Michael Stipe, Mike Mills and Peter Buck of R.E.M. at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago, Illinois on July 7, 1984.](https://www.insidehook.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/rem-book-interview.jpg?resize=750%2C750)
