Bakersfield and Oildale's own country music icon to be honored in Muskogee, Okla.

Apr. 4—They still wave Old Glory down at the courthouse in Muskogee, Oklahoma, USA — and pretty much every courthouse in every city in the United States.

Oildale native Merle Haggard made that line and that city famous more than 50 years ago with his hit song, "Okie From Muskogee," and now the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame has confirmed it will thank the late country music legend in a very public way.

The organization has announced in a news release that it will commission a bronze sculpture honoring the life and music of The Hag, who was inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in 1997, the organization's inaugural year.

"It is undeniable that to this day, over 50 years after the release of the record, people around the world still know Muskogee because of that song," Sue Harris, former president and CEO of the Greater Muskogee Area Chamber of Commerce, said in the release.

Tourists from around the world travel to Muskogee to experience the vibe and character encapsulated in the song, one of the most iconic and bestselling songs of our modern times, the Hall of Fame said in the release.

The statue will be erected at the Muskogee Civic Center, the venue where Haggard recorded the famous song and album "Okie From Muskogee" during a live concert.

Raymond H. McDonald, who was a troubled 15-year-old kid when he moved into Haggard's Oildale home in 1965, and later became Haggard's lifelong friend, wrote a book about his time with Merle titled "Merle Haggard Was a Friend of Mine."

"I think it's great that Muskogee is honoring Merle," McDonald told The Californian. "This is also for Bakersfield and his fans."

"Merle Haggard was my idol, my father figure, my brother," McDonald wrote in his book. But even now, seven years after Haggard's death in 2016, McDonald is "thrilled" to see that he continues to be remembered and honored.