Josh Turner brings country hits to three Montana towns
Josh Turner, a double-platinum-selling singer, songwriter and disciple of traditional country music, is also a mentor to up-and-coming artists – and one of the youngest members of the Grand Ole Opry. The artist, who tours Montana in early September, is also a family man, a philanthropist, a devoted Christian, and a passionate sports fan.
All of those layers came together in his latest album, 2012’s Punching Bag, a collection of bluegrass-influenced barnburners, lonesome laments, and the slow and steady love ballads on which his trademark baritone excels. The recording also yielded yielded the Number One country song of that year in sales, streaming and radio airplay, “Time Is Love.”
Over the years, Turner has garnered multiple Grammy, CMA and ACM nominations, created the Josh Turner Scholarship Fund to assist students interested in pursuing a future in arts and music, and published his first book, Man Stuff.
During his three-concert tour through Montana, expect to hear new material from a forthcoming album, including the single “Lay Low.” “The singer’s new project has a true-to-tradition sound, and certainly doesn’t cave to the pop-driven, booze-fueled climate of today’s country radio,” writes Rolling Stone. “But he still manages to mix it up.”
Montana tour dates:
Great Falls: 7:30 p.m. Sept. 2 at Centene Stadium (761-6453 or www.gfaf.com)
Billings: 7:30 p.m. Sept. 3 at the Alberta Bair Theater (256-6052 or www.albertabairtheater.org)
Dillon: 8:30 p.m. Sept. 6 at the Beaverhead County Fairgrounds (683-5771 or dillonjaycees.com)