Tumor removed from Merle Haggard's lung

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (AP) - November 4, 2008

Friends said Monday's surgery at Bakersfield Memorial Hospital was a success and that the 71-year-old country crooner was in stable condition.

Doctors informed Haggard, who's from a Bakersfield suburb, about a spot on his lung in May. He told The Bakersfield Californian in August that he wasn't going to seek treatment, but friends and family members convinced him otherwise.

Haggard became a household name after the anthem "Okie From Muskogee" hit No. 1 in 1969. He has had 38 No. 1 hits stretching back to 1966.

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