Merle Haggard Sidelined With Pneumonia, Cancels Tour Dates

Merle Haggard is being treated for pneumonia in a Georgia hospital, the Associated Press reports. As a result, he's been forced to cancel the remainder of his January tour dates. There's no word yet on whether those shows will be rescheduled.

The 74-year-old country icon fell ill prior to a performance in Macon, Ga., on Tuesday night (Jan. 17). His tour manager, Frank Mull, confirmed to the Ledger-Enquirer that the singer had been sick since leaving his California home last week.

Sadly, the Hag has faced several medical setbacks in the recent past. In August, he was forced to postpone several concerts for an undisclosed medical issue, after being taken to a hospital in Ft. Worth, Texas. He was also sidelined in late 2010 due to a respiratory ailment, and in 2008, the resilient entertainer underwent surgery for lung cancer, eventually beating the disease.

As a result of Merle's most recent hospitalization, concerts in the following cities have been canceled: Columbus, Ga.; Paducah, Ky.; Lola, Miss.; Ft. Worth, Texas; and Tulsa, Okla. The legend's next scheduled performance is Feb. 28 in Tucson, Ariz. Get updates on his concert schedule here.