Ted Nugent thanked those who supported him following his dog’s death and revealed the message his family placed on his grave in a new ‘Real America’s Voice’ video.
Nugent’s pet passed in March. The singer shared:
“I’m still not getting over Happy. Happy the greatest dog, the greatest hunting companion. Happy Jackson Nugent. Three weeks now he’s been gone, and we visit his grave every day, and thank you everybody.”
He referred to the supportive fan messages and continued:
“I am the luckiest man that ever tread planet Earth. The love, the empathy, the compassion, the support, the prayers, the strength that you people give Shemane [Nugent] and I, and I know, ‘just a dog!’”
An Emotional Song Is Written On The Dog’s Grave
The ‘Fred Bear’ singer shared memories of his time with Happy:
“Well, Happy and I did everything together every day. He would help me get dressed. Well, actually, he woke me up in the morning every day ‘cause he’d jump up on the bed and he’d lick my chin. What a great dog.”
He also mentioned that they placed a sign on Happy’s grave that sported the lyrics of Roy Rogers’ 1952 track ‘Happy Trails’:
“We got photos of Happy. We got a beautiful memorial, and Haley and Waco have made a beautiful sign that says, ‘Happy trails until we meet again.’ [Sings] ‘Happy trails to you until we meet again.’ So, there’s a sign on the trail to Happy’s grave that says, ‘Happy trails until we meet again.’”
Nugent’s Early Tribute Received Criticism
Ted Nugent mourned Happy’s death in a March episode of the podcast a week after his passing as well. His words about the family pet received backlash from viewers as he called him ‘just a dog.’ The singer said:
“It’s been a week since Shemane and I said goodbye to Happy. I know he’s just a dog. And today I just took his collar off my neck, and I put it on the cross. He was great. I didn’t think I was gonna cry again, but what a dog. What a hunting partner. What a kicker, K9 maniac passionate. Friend, partner, companion, protector, provider, pet that Happy Jackson was.”
He went on:
“Twelve years, I’ve had the most amazing life of a person could ever dream of. I’m so lucky. Every day, I thank God for this American dream I had.”
You can watch his recent video below.