The evening sun dipped low over Bakersfield, painting the cemetery in shades of gold and shadow. Vince Gill sat quietly on the cool grass, his guitar resting against his knee. In front of him stood the simple headstone: Merle Haggard, 1937–2016. He didn’t speak at first. Just listened — to the rustle of the wind through the trees, the faint hum of a distant train, the same kind of sound Merle once turned into a lifetime of songs. Finally, Vince strummed a single chord, soft and trembling, lettin