32. Merle Haggard
Merle Haggard was born in 1937. Suffering from a troubled childhood following the passing of his father, this led to multiple incarcerations during his youth. Upon release from San Quentin Prison in 1960, he managed to change his ways and launched a successful career in country music.
Haggard was a pioneer in what was named “The Bakersfield sound”. Between 1960 and 1980, he had 38 #1 hits on the various U.S. country charts. His discography includes 66 studio albums, five instrumental albums (together with his support band the Strangers) as well as multiple live and compilation albums.