BAKERSFIELD – California crooner Merle Haggard says he's on the mend after successful surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from his lung.

Haggard left a Bakersfield hospital over the weekend with his sense of humor still intact, saying he'd like to know who controls the Tylenol market, adding “God forbid it be the oil companies.”

According to publicist Tresa Redburn, last week doctors removed affected tissue on the upper lobe of Haggard's right lung. Haggard suffered from a non-small cell lung cancer.

Haggard, a native of Oildale in Kern County, is recovering at his home near Redding.

Haggard became a household name after the anthem “Okie From Muskogee” hit No. 1 in 1969. He has had 38 No. 1 hits stretching back to 1966.