As Merle sang it, ‘My Favorite Memory’
My husband and I were married on Sept. 15, 1973, in Selma, and we arrived at the Hilton Hotel in downtown Fresno happy but exhausted from the day’s events.
We attempted to check in to the bridal suite that my husband has reserved, but were told that Merle Haggard was in town, and that they had given the room to him. Upset but too tired for a confrontation, we accepted the room they gave us. It had a common wall with the bar, which had a live band on the other side.
So back down to the desk my husband goes. He came back with a key to another room. This time, they gave us a huge executive suite with a gigantic conference table in the middle of the room. We kept this room, too tired to go back to the desk.
I always thought that if Merle Haggard had known about this, he probably would not have cared what room he was given. We have been married for 42 years, and it still makes for a good story. Thank you, Mr. Haggard, for a fun memory!
Sharon Aivazian Wilkin, Selma
This story was originally published April 9, 2016 at 10:33 AM with the headline "As Merle sang it, ‘My Favorite Memory’."