Meeting Our Childhood Hero

we finally had the life-changing. encounter we've been waiting to have. since we were kids let's talk about that. [Music]. good mythical morning make sure you go. over to our main channel and check out. the latest release the sequel to. Christmas wets Christmas face it's. amazing I promise I think it is I'm. pretty proud of it question if you have. the power and the means to meet anybody.

on earth any living person on the face. of the earth. maybe someone you've always dreamed of. meeting for your entire life. would you have an answer yes do you have. that person in mind do you have that. hero that you've always wanted to meet. you. well that answer for us has always been. easy since very young it I mean since. high school middle school middle school.

yeah hey I found the tape in eighth. grade that was when I found my dad's. tape played it for you and then it's. been a love affair ever since from that. moment our lives were changed and the. answer to that question was easy for us. the answer is country music legend. artist extraordinaire Merle Haggard now. you may really you may remember from. last week's episode I think it was it. was Tuesday's episode we discussed. meeting this week elaborate we talked. about meeting sound effects today I said.

that Merle Haggard was one of the only. people I would actually go up and talk. to right this guy is definitely an idol. we were talking last night about how we. used to just drive around in a car. playing his albums for hours not even. speaking to each other just listening to. it was like being in a in a country. music meditative state Merle Hays and. then at in the next few hours we would. discuss in detail the songs and when you. do that you form a connection a bond.

with the artist we formed a bond with. Merle that from that moment going. through the rest of our lives all stages. which we went we've gone through so much. together whew. Rolle was always there with us I just. said Cooper musically yeah he definitely. in puberty I I could not have made it. through puberty without Morel hi Merle. Haggard was the key to us making it. through puberty and so we always we've. always thought about what what if what.

if we could meet him what if we can meet. him you know we've been to a number of. concert we once followed his when we. were 16 I just got my license we. followed him Ave North Carolina from a. North Carolina concert into South. Carolina followed his tour bus we were. like he's got to stop for gas or a meal. or something eventually but then we. realized we across the state border as. 16 year olds and we got scared we turned. back it's all that like that's illegal. we're like we're in South Carolina I. think the late the fumes from the bus.

were coming in the truck and it was it. was poisoning us slowly okay so that's. to set the stage that this guy is just a. hero of ours we've always wanted to meet. him him and it's never been able to work. out well that very night after that. episode of good mythical morning last. week we went over to Lynx house that. night our families were getting together. hang out with our wives and they said we. have a present for you they brought out. two little gift bags and they in and. they they started filming us open them. up and we took these little packages out.

of the gift bags tickets to a Merle. Haggard concert for the next night we. were like what we didn't even know he. was in town is at the Saban theater in. Beverly Hills and to tell a little port. of portion of this story and make a long. portion of the story short they had gone. through our management company which has. some connections in Nashville the. collective to get in touch with Murrells. booking agent so not only did we have.

tickets to the Merle Haggard strings. were being pulled from LA to Nashville. we had the cell phone number to Myrtle's. booking agent Lance and so we're like. okay immediately I feel like I've got to. go diarrhea because I mean my stomach I. immediately get nervous it's like this. is so much more reality right. realize that we were going to get to. meet Merle Haggard and there were tears. in his eyes I think like Christ and seer.

I began crying I'm not a shrine I'm not. ashamed of it and I was just so yeah I. felt sick I couldn't go to sleep that. night or say oh my god this is happening. after all these years of talking about. it's finally happening get up the next. day pick you up we're going to work it's. just like pale-faced. just nervousness yeah the hold of the. day I was uneasy I kissed her at four or. five times just a total wreck we cut we. called Lance the booking agent he. doesn't answer this mom we're like don't.

leave a voicemail we'll just call back. later yeah and then we call back later. and he done had we leave another. voicemail an awkward voicemail I don't. know what I said I thought I was on. drugs or something and then we finally. get him on the phone and he says okay. just you know just call me when you're. there and I'll meet up with you and. we'll go from there were like thank you. so much for getting us on the meet and. greet he said well there's not actually. a meet and greet it's just I can kind of. on his way to stage I can get you to. meet Merle writes really okay so we're.

gonna have an opportunity to meet Merle. on his way to stage and this may not be. the fairy tale you know meeting that. we've always division because he's gonna. be gonna be sitting out for hours okay. so anyway the concert it's at 8:00 we. get there at 6:30 we call Lance we're. like we're here and he's like oh okay um. and I'm like well we can grab a bite to. eat if you do yeah he was like you guys. your wedding time is the show we were. like eight here's a UH well you guys.

just go get something go grab something. to eat and come back when you're done so. we go. and we went to McDonald's not just. because I really like the McRib and yes. I did get one but you don't want to be. in the middle of a big meal then all of. a sudden you get the call from Merle to. come back I want to be able to drop that. Magrib throw it over and get back to the. Dada yeah so um he never called then so. and then we just drove back over there. and we go into the lobby and then we. call him or like we're here and it was.

still pretty early right hey we're. calling to me he's like okay how's it. callin back again they Wow so then he. says okay well you got. come out to the tour bus and I'm like. he's a tour bus he says and I have like. records now we've got like this record. collection on the wall in our Oliver. home and I've had records I'm like oh we. have records right but he said come out. to the tour bus and I'm thinking we're. gonna get on the tour bus he says. immediately follow that up with. I'll meet you outside of the tour bus so. okay we're not getting on the tour bus.

yeah so but he does say on the phone as. we're about to walk out he says yeah. we've been in here watching your videos. on the tour bus. Merl says I know those boys what he. knows us boys now I continue to question. whether or not Merl actually knows who. we are he might think we're like the. Flight of the Conchords or something. yeah there might be some version of them. I mean I don't know but that's the rumor. has it he knows those boys. I don't know how move on to the next.

portion of the story we go out to the. tour bus yeah link brings the albums for. Lance Lance comes out and we're talking. to him for a while just kind of small. talk and what just kind of tell him how. much of fans aren't he's starting to get. an understanding okay well I can take. the album's right now and get them. signed and that way when he's coming out. of tour bus later I was like yeah yeah. yeah let's go ahead and get the album. sign that way we can concentrate on. getting a picture later and you know. talking to him I don't have to worry. about any signatures that's great so I. give him give him the album's there's.

these little wristbands he's like after. the opening act you guys can come back. out here and in between the tour bus and. you know the stage out here you guys can. can meet Merle so we go back in we watch. the opening act we we got our wristbands. on we go back out we go past the rope. there's a rope in between the tour bus. in the stage door and then there's a. rope on the other side and there's a. little pocket of fans on each side and a. security guard their search they see our. bands we're able to go through the rope. and stand in the middle and you know we.

see they're okay here's the stage. entrance this is gonna be a good place. there's lighting here be good it takes a. good place to take a picture there's. people on the other side of the rope a. guy comes over and he's like can you. guys be here we're like yeah we got. these days like man and then he's like. stomps by me what would the wristbands. yeah so say okay we're in the perfect. spot. dance comes out there we're talking to. him he's like you want to use my camera. take the picture or do you want to use. your camera well what we'll use our. camera and well like face this direction. you know you got it it's a limited.

window of opportunity here everything. has to be exactly right it was so that. some time passes real quickly Ben. Haggard Merle Haggard son he comes out. of the tour bus he comes back we. recognize him Ben he's like hey Ben I'm. gonna meet you he's like oh hey guys. we've been watching you we've been. watching your videos on the tour bus. watching our videos on the bus like hey. we're huge fans um and then he's like. well we love we love your dad good to.

see you guy I got to go play I'm in the. band and so he goes I mean can he be our. dad he goes to the stage door another. few minutes past and then all of a. sudden I I'm looking at Lincoln right. over links shoulder is a tour bus I'm. looking at Rex iconic door of the tour. bus I'm just waiting to open and then. Bret's eyes get big it opens and then. here he comes. dressed all in black Merle Haggard has. stepped out of the tour bus and he. begins to mosey that's the best way to. describe the way he walks now that he's. 76 and begins to mosey down the sidewalk.

and there's two women he stops and talks. to them okay well he tosses women we're. next he starts walking towards we're. trying to play it cool I don't I'm not. gonna run up to him and like take a knee. or anything I'm trying not to cry even. though I've thought about it and he's. walking up to us walking up to us. walking up to us walking past us walking. past us walking past us this one down. the sidewalk keeps going last turn says. he says oh he's gonna go he's gonna go. meet those people the other fans on the.

other side of that rope over there it's. cool you know he's cool he does this. kind of thing he's a man of the people. he likes to talk to people out there. even though they're behind ropes we're. like okay that's cool and then Lance in. the middle of like explaining that to us. he's like looks at all Merle's gone and. then Lance takes off around the corner. and so then I look at Rhett we're like. start chasing Lance and he goes in. another entrance there's another. entrance to the backstage Merle has gone. in another stage door so we go Lance. goes in Rhett goes in I go in.

door shuts totally black except we can't. see. it's totally black but we can see the. band actually playing on stage because. we're basically backstage and and I know. that money and they're already playing. the first song waiting from roller come. on like you know waiting for him to come. out on stage and it's like we've we've. missed it we have missed our hero and. then I hear Lance a Merle hold on a. second rocket I've got two guys I want. you to meet and then my eyes kind of. adjust and I realize Merle is like three.

feet in front of me I can see like a. little bit of a silhouette he's dressed. in black in the dark it was amazing and. then he so then Rhett and I get on. either side of him and Lance takes rets. camera and it's okay let's take a photo. and we're like no flash so this is so. this is our first picture of us and. Merle Haggard that we ever took together. not a lot of detail in it and we're like. you got it you got to turn on the flash. and I turn to Merle and he's this close.

to me like and I melis breath and I have. my it was swear as my hand on his back. and I I'm thinking I actually say I say. is this really you because I can't see. you and he goes I think he laughs yeah a. little-little Merle laughs it was great. and then the camera flashes and out of.

the corner of my eye I see him and I. turned I said they're in the periphery. it is you and he didn't say anything at. that point. I had my hand on the small of his back I. had my hand like up here on the top of. his back and it was soft it was a little. soft in a good way. yeah it was it was pleasant and then. then he was next thing I knew he was on. stage performing his song we were. staying in there backstage watching him. we're like that's it I met a shadow of.

Merle Haggard I've I saw him for a split. second but this is the way I thought. about it we didn't get a chance to. really discuss anything with Merle he. may not even know that he met us it's. like meeting a wax figure in the dark. but you know I feel like if I had have. met him. in normal circumstances like in the. light like where you could have a. conversation yeah I think like I just. would have made a fool of myself I like. on a couch or something I would have. cried I would have said something stupid. so meeting him in the dark and only. seeing him out of the periphery and a.

camera flush. I bet best-case scenario preserve the. mystery of it it preserved the in the. intrigue in the the mystique is the word. I'm looking for it preserved the. mystique then we go out and we watch the. rest of the show. from the second row had an amazing time. you know it was great I've got the I've. got the records here he's signed this. one it's personalized to war and Link. yep I think rets in there somewhere. yeah if my name is difficult it's.

difficult to write difficult to spell. too well and link yeah we goes good. enough better than but better than good. it's great a few more here life-changing. experience we want to thank our wives. for doing this for us I mean because. they were the ones who sweet hatched. this plan and we want to thank the. collective for pulling some strings and. of course we want to thank Merle Haggard. for signing mm-hmm on my on this album. here and for giving us opportunity to. meet him in the dark hopefully one day.

we're gonna meet him in the light maybe. have a conversation work on a project. together Merle you hear us that's right. let's work on something together or just. touches back in just a friendly way. again yep you know what time it is. I'm Robert and I'm Rose and we're at the. former residence of Merle Haggard in. rich Coast California it's time to. thanks to everybody who participated in. the 12 mythical days of Christmas we are.

now seeing our overall winner and. receiver of all 12 prizes today on. facebook.com slash rhett and Link over. there also go check out Christmas face. the latest Christmas video the sequel to. Christmas Swift's Rhett is old link from. the future here to warn link weird. right but what you're gonna have what's.

up you're gonna have a tough time. believing this okay I know it looked. like Rhett but it okay in the future. when the singularity happens and we have. the ability to take people's brains or. minds and input them into another body. is this a science lesson no no no just. be quiet you know how much time we came. up with some bet this is on an episode. of GMM in the year 2050 where we were.

like oh let's do this thing where we. switch bodies we're still doing GMM in. the year 2050 yeah it's bigger than ever. it just is injected directly into. people's brains through a syringe weird. there's no internet sounds like that's. another conversation listen I would. never have a sir I'm you right I'm you. you said hey I'll be in your body for a. day I got in your body for a day I did. something really stupid in your body. you're dead I'm you weird I know I'm.

dead. your body's dead your mind is in rest. body I am you I haven't aged because of. some other technology listen all you. need to know is that day when I suggest. that we should switch bodies resist me. do not do it because it will kill you. because I don't like being this tall man. I've hit my head on everything I would. really sucks but you're trying to. protect Rhett I'm trying to protect me. because Rhett was inside my body and. died your body I'm you gah I kind of.

feel like we should always be. blindfolded when we're around him. yeah or you know what I mean it should. be totally dark we should only work with. Merlin total darkness.