Country Legend Merle Haggard Credited God for His Success

Country music icons and fans are mourning the death of music legend Merle Haggard.

Haggard died yesterday on his 79th birthday after battling pneumonia for months.

Country stars and fans are calling him one of the greatest of his time and all-time.

Willie Nelson remembered Haggard as a "brother" and "friend." Toby Keith called him "the greatest singer-songwriter" of his lifetime.

Haggard achieved a lot and received many awards but attributed his success to God.

Haggard was a guest on The 700 Club in 2000 where he recalled what life was like before his music success. By the time he was 21 his life was full of bar fights, broken marriages, and a prison sentence, despite being raised in a Christian home. Click play to watch Haggard's Club appearance.

"I was in a rut that was very deep. I had a serious, serious record," he said.

But Haggard said it wasn't until he was locked-up in solitary confinement that God transformed his life.

"He showed me a different direction in life and mapped out his plan. He screamed at me for years before I heard him," he said.

From that point on Haggard committed his life and music to God, and even released a gospel CD.