Cherokee Maiden - Merle Haggard - MP3 instrumental karaoke

Joined by his trusted band The Strangers, aka a talented cast of multi-instrumentalists that included Roy Nichols on lead guitar, Norman Hamlet on steel guitar and dobro and Tiny Moore on mandolin, outlaw country pioneer Merle Haggard struck gold with this western swing song in 1976. Written by revered country scribe Cindy Walker and originally recorded by Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys in 1941, the now dated-sounding "Cherokee Maiden" gave Merle Haggard a number one footing on both the US and Canadian country charts. The track was one of a whole string of chart-toppers logged by Merle Haggard and The Strangers during the 1970s, with singles like "Carolyn" (1971), "I Wonder If They Ever Think of Me" (1972), "Things Aren't Funny Anymore" (1974), and many more also making the mark. Decades later, West Virginia-originating country group Asleep at the Wheel picked up a Grammy for their 2001 version of "Cherokee Maiden."