15 Years Ago Today, the World Lost the Songwriter Who Penned Merle Haggard’s First No. 1 Hit and Raised a Country Star
Songwriter and singer Liz Anderson died in Nashville on 31 October 2011, aged 81, from complications of lung and heart disease. She wrote songs recorded by Merle Haggard and other country artists, including the song that gave Haggard his first number-one hit and the name of his band.
Anderson began writing in California in the late 1950s and became part of Bakersfield’s country music scene. Her co-written “I’m a Lonesome Fugitive” reached number one for Haggard in 1966; she had her own chart success with “The Game of Triangles” and “Mama Spank”, both reaching number five and earning Grammy nominations. Her daughter Lynn also recorded several of her songs, including “Big Girls Don’t Cry” and “If I Kiss You”.
In short
- Liz Anderson died aged 81 in 2011.
- Her song gave Merle Haggard his first number-one hit.
- Her daughter Lynn recorded several of her compositions.
Explained simply
Bakersfield, California, became an important centre for country music in the 1950s and 1960s, with a sound that drew on traditional country and honky-tonk. Liz Anderson began writing songs there in the late 1950s, while also building a career as a singer.
Her songs were recorded by artists including Merle Haggard, whose band took its name from “I’m a Lonesome Fugitive”. Anderson’s daughter Lynn also became a country singer and recorded songs her mother had written. The family’s work linked Anderson’s songwriting to several well-known country music careers.