LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Merle Haggard is not letting a bout with lung cancer get in the way of his ambitious touring and recording plans.

Seven weeks after the 71-year-old country legend had a lemon-sized tumor removed in what he calls "the greatest test of my fortitude," he said on Wednesday that he expects to work harder in 2009 than he has in 20 years.

Haggard says he is singing better now that he is in the throes of KICKING HIS DAILY MARIJUANA HABIT...

Which explains why his music has, by and large, been on a downward spiral since the early '80s. It also explains why the man looks like he's NUTS!