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Health NewsCountry Icon Merle Haggard Hospitalized for Pneumonia
Merle Haggard has been hospitalized for a recurring bout of double pneumonia.
The 78-year-old country music star is receiving treatment for the illness in a California hospital, his rep confirmed to the [Associated Press](http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/USPEOPLEMERLEHAGGARD?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT)_ in a statement on Tuesday, March 1.
Merle onstage in April 2015.
According to the statement, Merle canceled several concerts last month as he was still suffering from a past bout of pneumonia in both lungs. After the “Okie From Muskogee” singer was advised by his doctors to take a month off from work to recover from his current illness, Merle additionally canceled all of his upcoming March tour dates.
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The country icon was previously hospitalized for pneumonia in December 2015. Merle — who was a heavy cigarette smoker until he quit in 1992 — was diagnosed with non-small-cell lung cancer in November 2008 and subsequently underwent surgery to remove part of his lung.
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