Haggard Brothers Perform In Payson And Sedona October 12-13; EmiSunshine To Open

Merle Haggard's memory lives on, thanks to his sons, Ben and Noel, whose national tour brings them to Arizona this weekend.

The Haggard Brothers will headline at the Mazatzal Hotel & Casino in Payson on Saturday, October 12, and at the Sedona Performing Arts Center on Sunday, October 13, performing many of their dad's classic songs in his inimitable outlaw-country style.

"I watched him sing on stage, absorbed the little things he was doing, the tricks with his voice, how he handled the crowd," Ben said. "It was like going back to school. Things I didn't realize I picked up from the eight years I spent on the road with him started to come into play."

See Ben Haggard perform "It Will Always Be" here.

Ben toured as lead guitarist with his father's band for several years and was a regular on many of his records. His television appearances include a 2014 performance at The GRAMMYS with Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson and Blake Shelton.

Opening for The Haggard Brothers will be Tennessee-based teenage country music sensation EmiSunshine, who has attracted national attention with appearances on "The Today Show," NBC's "Little Big Shots," "Pickler & Ben" and elsewhere, including 14 performances at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, as well as performances at major festivals like CMA Fest and MerleFest.

See EmiSunshine and The Rain perform "Scarecrow."

EmiSunshine's music has been praised by such luminaries as Loretta Lynn, Emmylou Harris, Tim McGRaw, Ricky Skaggs, Marty Stuart and The Grateful Dead. Though her roots are in Bluegrass and Country, her musical styles also include Blues and Gospel. Critics have compared her to a young Janis Joplin and Dolly Parton. Rolling Stone named her among "10 new country artists you need to know."

In 2018, EmiSunshine made her motion picture debut in the Grammy-nominated Elvis Presley documentary film "The King" alongside Rosanne Cash, Emmylou Harris, Ashton Kutcher, Alec Baldwin and other stars. Emi wrote three songs for the movie, which she performed while riding in the backseat of Elvis' Rolls Royce. She also performed at the movie's premiere at the Cannes International Film Festival. Her YouTube videos have garnered over 16 million views.

A native of East Tennessee, EmiSunshine hails from a family of musicians, with a touring band comprised of her father, Randall Hamilton; her brother, John Hamilton; and Uncle Bobby Hill. As a young girl, she started writing songs with her mother, Alisha Hamilton, and is now cowriting with established songwriters in Nashville. Her new album, "Family Wars," will be released on October 18.

Information about EmiSunshine is available at theemisunshine.com. Information about The Haggard Brothers is available at benhaggardmusic.com.

The Haggard Brothers, with special guest EmiSunshine, will perform on Saturday, October 12, at Mazatzal Hotel & Casino, Highway 87, Mile Marker 251, Payson, AZ 85541, at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $30 and can be reserved by visiting http://www.mazatzalcasino.com/events-arizona-s-premier-hotel-and-casino.html or by calling 800-777-PLAY. Ages 13+ admitted.

The Haggard Brothers, with special guest EmiSunshine, will perform on Sunday, October 13, at the Sedona Performing Arts Center, 995 Upper Red Rock Loop Rd, Sedona, AZ 86336, at 6:00 p.m. Tickets are $25-$35 and can be reserved by visiting https://theemisunshine.com/#TourSection.

Students and military veterans are entitled a 50% discount at both shows.

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