Outside the Beltway

The legendary singer, songwriter, and actor is gone at 88.

A member of the inaugural Rock and Roll Hall of Fame class and the most recent Country Music Hall of Fame class is gone at 87.

The legendary country music singer-songwriter known as “The Storyteller” is gone at 85.

A great songwriter is gone at 73.

The tough guy actor best known for the “Smokey And The Bandit” movies has passed away at the age of 82.

Merle Haggard is not gay. But he’s been retroactively gay married — twice! — for want of a comma.

The country singer says he’s “a conservative Democrat who is sometimes embarrassed for his party.”