Country music icon Merle Haggard was scheduled to perform on July 3rd at Canada’s longest running country music festival. On April 6th, Dauphin’s Countryfest, along with the rest of the world, mourned the loss of this legendary singer, who passed away on his 79th birthday.
Dauphin’s Countryfest will honour the late Merle Haggard on Sunday, July 3rd with a very special performance exclusive to Countryfest, by his sons Ben Haggard and Noel Haggard and his long time band, The Strangers. Both Ben and Noel are country music artists and musicians in their own right, with Ben playing guitar alongside his dad on recent tours.
Joining them will be multi-award winning singer/songwriter Jamey Johnson who has performed with Merle on several occasions in the past. In an April 18th interview with Rolling Stone Magazine, Jamey Johnson calls Merle Haggard a mentor and a friend, adding “Merle taught me how to make music, and that’s how I make my living and feed my family today. I couldn’t owe anybody a greater debt of gratitude than I owe Merle Haggard.”
“You cannot replace an icon like Merle Haggard”, says Countryfest Promoter Rob Waloschuk. “We couldn’t think of a better way to pay homage to the life of this prolific singer/songwriter than to have his family and friends perform a tribute concert. Merle fans won’t want to miss this once-in-a-lifetime performance, exclusive to Countryfest, that will no doubt get major press coverage from across the country.”
Tickets:
The 27th annual Dauphin’s Countryfest takes place June 30-July 3, 2016. Weekends, VIPs, Dailies, Camping and Reserved Seating are on sale now! Tickets can be purchased online at www.countryfest.ca, by calling 1-800-361-7300, or in-person at the Dauphin’s Countryfest office (28 2nd Avenue NE in Dauphin).
About CountryFest
The 27th annual Dauphin’s Countryfest takes place June 30-July 3, 2016. Canada’s longest running country music festival has been attracting the biggest names in country music to one of the most beautiful regions of Manitoba since 1990. Situated on the edge of Riding Mountain National Park, the unique outdoor amphitheatre built into the side of an escarpment provides every patron a perfect view from any one of the 14,000 seats in the house.
Dauphin’s Countryfest is a not-for-profit organization that consists of a 12-member volunteer Board of Directors and a membership of more than 2000 loyal supporters. Organizers credit over 2000 volunteers who work tirelessly each year providing essential services for the festival weekend, while fundraising for their respective community organizations. In addition to various community contributions, Countryfest pays out approximately $150,000 each year to community organizations that provide services for the festival.
Dauphin’s Countryfest was named a finalist at the prestigious Canadian Tourism Awards in 2013, nominated in the category of Tourism Event of the Year. The festival was also awarded the 2012 Philanthropist of the Year Award from The Dauphin & District Community Foundation, given to individuals or businesses that show the true spirit of philanthropy and giving.
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