Merle Haggard

Sixties icon Marianne Faithfull on her new covers album, what’s on her iPod and the music she calls the soundtrack of her life.

Casual music fans may be surprised to hear Merle Haggard, who wrote rowdy classics like “Mama Tried” and “Okie From Muskogee,” crooning “Stardust Memories.? But that’s what he did on his album Unforgettable. In 2005 the country legend told Kurt that he’s always experimented with his music all throughout his career.

Correspondent Julie Caine profiles Japanese country and western singer Toshio Hirano.