Josh Turner

Aug. 15, 2010

Josh Turner Goes ‘Haywire‘
By Kristi Kates
It may seem to the casual country music listener that Josh Turner’s music just popped out of the woodwork recently. In fact, the musician has actually been simmering under the country radar for quite some time, having released four studio albums and charted ten times on the Billboard country singles charts.
His song, “Why Don’t We Just Dance,” has been embraced by country and country-pop crossover fans alike; he’s currently on another one of his extensive tours, this one in continued promotion of his latest album, Haywire; and he was recently inducted into the Grand Ole Opry, making him the second-youngest member of the Opry after fellow country singer Carrie Underwood.

THE OPRY FAMILY
“It’s been ten years since I signed with MCA Records,” Turner explains, “sometimes it feels like it’s been just a year, and sometimes it feels like it’s been ten years. But being inducted into the Grand Ole Opry was a surprise - I feel very honored to be a member of that institution at such an early age - or at any age, for that matter. It’s great to be a part of the Opry family.”
Turner says that his touring band is another close-to-his-heart component of his life as a touring country musician.
“My road band is like a family to me, too,” he says. “Everyone in the band is very gifted and talented and easy to work with. We have a lot of fun together and really respect and take care of each other. We all work toward a common goal of putting on a great show for the fans.”

POWERFUL VOCALS
That show, of course, includes Turner’s famed bass voice, which is a hallmark of his performance style on such songs as “Your Man,” “Would You Go With Me,” “Firecracker,” and the aforementioned “...Dance.” His voice perfectly suits his country-western roster of songs, and exhibits enough power to make even a Turner country power ballad have more impact than most.
“As far as the tone of my voice, it’s always had a naturally deep tone, but I had to nurture that sound as well,” Turner says, “it’s something I had to work at through the years, and I had to learn how to take care of it. Had I not nurtured and taken care of it, I probably would have never been able to maximize it’s full potential.”
Turner’s talents are further exhibited on his latest album, Haywire, which he wrapped work on early last summer, in a shorter period of time than even he expected.
“We got started on the album sooner than I anticipated, and the recording process went quickly,” he explains, “I think from start to finish, it took about eight months, which is quicker than normal for me. The songs just kept coming whether it was songs I wrote or outside songs; I just tried to record songs that looked on the bright side and had a positive message.”

INTERLOCHEN DANCE
One of the “song messages” that has had the most positive impact for Turner is “... Dance,” which remains a fan favorite. Turner thinks the reason is simple - it’s because of what the song itself has to say. “The message is to turn your back on the bad things and bad news going on in the world, and just dance,” he says, “love the people that are close to you and concentrate on the simple things in life. I think for my older fans, they really get the message of the song. Some of the younger fans like it because it’s a good reason to dance.”
Fans of all ages will be dancing, for sure, at Turner’s upcoming Interlochen performance.
“I’m looking forward to Interlochen,” Turner enthuses, “it’s been a long time since I’ve been there, and Michigan has a lot of great fans. We have a new show for 2010 with new video, lights and great sound - but most of all, the crowd in Interlochen will get my best.”

Josh Turner will be performing at Interlochen’s Kresge Auditorium on Friday, August 20 at 8 p.m., with special guest Jason Jones. Tickets can be purchased online at https://tickets.interlochen.org; for more about the show and about Turner, visit www.interlochen.org and Turner’s own website at joshturner.com.