As Country Rebel notes, Strait chose a song that earned Haggard both commercial success and critical acclaim. The emotional tune is touching commentary on the challenges faced by some of the the nation's hardest-working people.

On December 22, 1973, Haggard's crossover hit “If We Make It Through December” struck the No. 1 chart position making it a soaring success in both country and pop genres. Strait sings a cover of this immensely popular song that was written just the prior year by Haggard and exclaims about the desperate optimism that most blue-collar men faced during hard-economic times, most commonly December.

Watching the video, it's easy to see that the entire crowd was in awe of Strait's breathtaking performance, and we have no doubt Haggard was thrilled to see the younger generation honoring his work. We always love to see the country music community come together like this!

Article Source: Country Rebel

Photo Source: Owen Sweeney (Right), Kevin Winter/ Getty Images (Left)