TIFTON — Ben Haggard, the son of the late country music legend Merle Haggard, will perform along with brother Noel in an acoustic show at the Tift Theatre, Saturday, December 16, where they will both sing their father’s songs and tell his stories, according to a press release.

The show will be opened by Adel native Jordan Rowe.

For fans of his late, legendary father, country music great Merle Haggard, his youngest son Ben spent eight years as lead guitarist in Merle’s longtime band The Strangers, since he was 15 years old, fitting in easily with veterans like musical director Norm Hamlet and Scott Joss, the release states.

Since Merle’s death on April 6, 2016, Ben has been passing on the legacy of his dad’s music with brother Noel and the Strangers, joined on several dates by longtime friend Kris Kristofferson and opening for another frequent Merle partner, Willie Nelson, the release states.

In the release, Ben recalls Merle telling him: “You’d be an idiot not to take my guitar and my bus, not to sing my songs for as long as you can…Go out there and play until there’s nobody to play to.”

Ben and Noel own their own take on songs like “Sing Me Back Home,” “Heaven Was a Drink Of Wine,” “Workin’ Man Blues” and “What Am I Gonna Do With the Rest of My Life?,” according to the release.

His next challenge is to carve out his own musical career, lest he be accused, as he says in his own self-effacing way, “of riding someone else’s coattails,” the release states.

For now, Ben’s content with burnishing his father’s legacy, playing his songs and pleasing Merle’s many fans, doing his part as the good son, according to the release.

“When I’m compared to him, I realize it’s to someone far greater, but it gives me hope and the drive to emerge from his shadow, and hopefully, one day, to stand just as tall,” Ben said in the release.

General Admission tickets are $25 and can be purchased online at freshtix.com or by phone at 678-701-6114.

Doors will open at 7 p.m. with music starting at 7:30 p.m.