SHOCKING TRUTH: Without Bonnie Owens, Merle Haggard Might Never Have Released “Mama Tried” or “Today I Started Loving You Again”
Merle Haggard could turn hard living into poetry. But here’s the shocker: without Bonnie Owens, some of his greatest songs might have never left his head.
The two met in 1961, when Haggard was a restless young man clawing his way back from prison and heartbreak, and Bonnie was already a rising star on the West Coast country circuit. By 1965, they were married — the same year Bonnie won Female Vocalist of the Year from the Academy of Country Music. Yet, just as her own career was catching fire, she made a choice that would forever change country music: she stepped back, poured herself into their family, and quietly became the creative fuel behind Haggard’s most iconic hits.
Haggard himself admitted it years later. “If I even indicated I was going to write, well, she was there with a pad and a pen. There wouldn’t have been no ‘Mama Tried’ or ‘Working Man Blues’ if it wouldn’t have been for her. She took the words down at the right time.”
That partnership in the late 1960s produced a storm of classics — songs that earned Haggard six BMI Awards in a single year. Even “Today I Started Loving You Again” was sparked by Bonnie. While on tour, Merle casually told her, “I finally have time to love you again.” Without hesitation, Bonnie replied, “That’s a song.” By the time she returned from fetching food, Merle had written one of his greatest ballads.
Their marriage ended in 1978, but their respect never did. They toured together, supported one another, and remained lifelong friends. When Bonnie’s health declined from Alzheimer’s, Haggard recalled one haunting final memory. She pulled him into her room, pointed at a photo of the two of them from decades earlier, and whispered: “He’s my favorite.” She didn’t recognize him anymore — but her affection remained untouched by time or disease.
It’s a heartbreaking reminder that their story was never just about romance. It was about collaboration, loyalty, and the kind of love that puts someone else’s dreams above your own.
Without Bonnie Owens, “Mama Tried” might have been lost. “Today I Started Loving You Again” might have stayed a passing thought. “Working Man Blues” might never have been captured at all.
But because she was there — pen in hand, love in her heart — those songs became immortal. And so did the bond between Merle Haggard and Bonnie Owens, a partnership that proved country music’s greatest treasures are often born from sacrifice, trust, and quiet devotion.
