Montana: “Big City” — Merle Haggard

There’s a long list of famous Montanans extending from David Lynch to daredevil Evel Knievel to Pixar’s Brad Bird, artist Andrea Fraser, L.A. Lakers’ coach Phil Jackson, and actress Myrna Loy. It’s a surprisingly large number considering the state’s relatively small population. There’s just something about a Montana childhood that inspires people to either flee to the nearest big city to escape the claustrophobia of a small town.Or, to put it more romantically