The life story and his musical legacy of songwriter and guitarist Merle Travis. Raised in the Western Kentucky coalfields during the Great Depression, Merle Travis grew to worldwide stardom by the 1940s and 1950s. Today he is one of country music's most celebrated stylistic pioneers. Perhaps best recognized as the original balladeer of the classic "Sixteen Tons" as well as hits like "Nine Pound Hammer" and "Dark as a Dungeon."