The man who chauffeured Blake Shelton around Mexico last year is defending him against allegations made by In Touch Weekly that Blake partied with a blonde woman at a hotel and went to strip clubs.
Blake is suing the tabloid for $2 million for defamation, saying those claims are false.
And now driver Felipe Gomez has sworn in a statement that Blake casually sat at the hotel bar and took pictures with fans, including a blonde woman. He also says that the most exciting thing he took Blake to do in Cancun was snorkeling.
R.I.P - MERLE HAGGARD
Outlaw country icon Merle Haggard died today (Wednesday), which was his 79th birthday. Best known for “Okie From Muskogee,” "Mama Tried" and “If We Make It Through December,” Merle was one of the last stars of a generation that included such legends as Buck Owens, Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings.
- Merle was born in Bakersfield, California in 1937.
- After stints in juvenile detention and prison, he turned his life around and started his career at Bakersfield’s legendary Hot Spot club.
- He quickly signed with Capitol Records and hit number-one for the first time in 1966 with “The Lonesome Fugitive.”
- His final number-one was 1987’s “Twinkle, Twinkle Lucky Star.”
- In his career, Hag won one Grammy, six CMA Awards and 13 ACM Awards. He had 38 country chart-toppers.
- Merle is survived by wife Theresa, their two children and four other children from a previous marriage.
Born in Bakersfield, California in 1937, Merle spent his formative years in and out of juvenile detention. Even after his music career began with the help of Lefty Frizzell, he spent time in San Quentin, where he saw Johnny Cash perform three times. With the help of author and death row inmate Caryl Chessman, Merle turned his life around, kept a steady job while incarcerated and played in the prison’s band. He was released after serving only five years of his 15-year sentence.
Upon his release, Merle secured a job singing at one of Bakersfield’s legendary clubs, The Hot Spot, where he gained the attention of Tally Records. He soon signed with Capitol Records, which released his first Top 5 hit, “Swinging Doors,” in 1965. The next year he put out “The Bottle Let Me Down” and “The Lonesome Fugitive” -- his first number one -- and was named the ACM’s Top Male Vocalist.
Merle’s career continued to soar throughout the ‘60s as he wrote songs that reflected his tumultuous past, his musical influences and his take on current events, including politics. The release of “Okie From Muskogee” prompted Alabama governor George Wallace to ask Hag for an endorsement, which he didn’t get, and 1973’s “If We Make It Through December” has been hailed as a recession anthem.
In 1987, Merle had his last number-one hit with “Twinkle, Twinkle Lucky Star,” but he continued to be a respected force in country music.
Many artists cite Merle Haggard as a major influence and even name him in songs. Those songs include The Dixie Chicks’ “Long Time Gone,” Brooks and Dunn’s “Rock My World (Little Country Girl)”, George Jones’s “Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes,” Luke Bryan’s “Country Man” and the controversial Alan Jackson and George Strait tune “Murder on Music Row.” Merle also appeared on such contemporary hits as Eric Church’s “Pledge Allegiance to the Hag” and Gretchen Wilson’s “Politically Uncorrect.”
In 1977 he was inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame, and in 1994 he was made a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, which calls him “With the arguable exception of Hank Williams, the single most influential singer-songwriter in country music.”
He'd been ill on and off over the past year and had spent the last few weeks in hospice care.
Merle is survived by wife Theresa, their two children and four other children with his first wife, Leona Hobbs.
Number-One Hits by Merle Haggard
| Song | Year | Weeks at #1 |
| “The Fugitive” | 1967 | 1 |
| “Branded Man” | 1967 | 1 |
| “Sing Me Back Home” | 1967 | 2 |
| “The Legend of Bonnie and Clyde” | 1968 | 2 |
| “Mama Tried” | 1968 | 4 |
| “Hungry Eyes” | 1969 | 1 |
| “Workin’ Man Blues” | 1969 | 1 |
| “Okie From Muskogee” | 1969 | 4 |
| “The Fightin’ Side of Me” | 1970 | 3 |
| “Daddy Frank” (The Guitar Man) | 1971 | 2 |
| “Caroyln” | 1971 | 3 |
| “Grandma Harp” | 1972 | 2 |
| “It’s Not Love” (But It’s Not Bad) | 1972 | 1 |
| “I Wonder If They Ever Think of Me” | 1972 | 1 |
| “Everybody’s Had the Blues” | 1973 | 2 |
| “If We Make It Through December” | 1973 | 4 |
| “Things Aren’t Funny Anymore” | 1974 | 1 |
| “Old Man From the Mountain” | 1974 | 1 |
| “Kentucky Gambler” | 1974 | 1 |
| “Always Wanting You” | 1975 | 2 |
| “Movin’ On” | 1975 | 1 |
| “It’s All in the Movies” | 1975 | 1 |
| “The Roots of My Raising” | 1976 | 1 |
| “Cherokee Maiden” | 1976 | 1 |
| “Bar Room Buddies” | 1980 | 1 |
| “I Think I’ll Just Stay Here and Drink” | 1980 | 1 |
| “My Favorite Memory” | 1981 | 1 |
| “Big City” | 1982 | 1 |
| “Yesterday’s Wine” | 1982 | 1 |
| “Going Where the Lonely Go” | 1982 | 1 |
| “You Take Me for Granted” | 1983 | 1 |
| “Pancho and Lefty” | 1983 | 1 |
| “That’s The Way Love Goes” | 1983 | 1 |
| “Someday When Things Are Good” | 1984 | 1 |
| “Let’s Chase Each Other Around the Room” | 1984 | 1 |
| “A Place to Fall Apart” | 1984 | 1 |
| “Natural High” | 1985 | 1 |
| “Twinkle, Twinkle Lucky Star” | 1987 | 1 |
ELTON JOHN: WILL APPEAR ON ABC'S NASHVILLE
Elton John will appear next month on the ABC dramatic series Nashville.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the rock legend will perform alongside Sam Palladino's character Gunnar on the episode airing May 18th.
Nashville has presented a number of real-life stars during its four-season run, such as Brad Paisley, Kellie Pickler, Florida Georgia Line and Sara Evans. Kesha is also booked to appear before the end of May
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