Country singer-songwriter Josh Turner finds beauty in sad and slow songs

Country singer-songwriter Josh Turner finds beauty in sad, lonesome and slow songs such as Johnny Cash’s “The Caretaker” and Hank Williams’ “Alone and Forsaken.”

These somber tunes appear on his 2020 album “Country State of Mind.” Turner also invited country greats John Anderson, Kris Kristofferson and Randy Travis to record new versions of their previous hits for the album. Guests such as Allison Moorer, Chris Janson and Runaway June also appear.

Turner will perform June 17 at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio.

During a recent interview, Turner told The Desert Sun he struggled with a vocal injury while growing up in Hannah, South Carolina. When he began listening to country music legends such as Vern Gosdin, he was inspired by how they took real-life struggles and turned them into hard-hitting, emotional songs.

“Vern Gosdin was one of my heroes, and he could take a slow, sad song and just rip your heart out the way he sang it,” Turner said. “I was really drawn to that because it was a form of storytelling that was new and fascinating to me. It was a departure from all the uptempo, positive, lighthearted songs on (commercial radio).”

As Turner began performing live, he learned to play sad songs “in moderation” because audiences, he said, want to hear uplifting material. He’s also inspired by gospel music, which can sometimes include dark subjects, but there’s no forgiveness without fear, redemption without failure or restoration without brokenness.

“I think that’s where the lord comes in. He restores, redeems, forgives and loves. There’s an element there (in sad songs) and gospel music,” Turner said.

An emotional moment with Randy Travis

One artist Turner shares a love of gospel music with is aforementioned Randy Travis, who recorded crossover songs such as “Baptism,” “Three Wooden Crosses” and “Pray for the Fish.” In 2013, Travis suffered a massive stroke, which affected his ability to sing. Turner’s cover of Travis' 1987 signature song “Forever and Ever, Amen” includes his friend singing the “Amen” at the end of the song.

While Travis did his takes, his wife Mary Davis had tears rolling down her face.

“It just clicked with me and I looked at her and asked ‘Is this the first time Randy has been back in the studio since his stroke?’ and she nodded her head,” Turner said. “That’s when it sunk in with me. It was a special moment. I’m glad it’s on the record and I think the fans love it.”

Country music is going through many changes, and most newer artists are open to experimentation, crossovers and collaborating with other musicians outside of the genre. Rapper Lil Nas X went viral in 2019 after releasing the country-rap song “Old Town Road” and later released a remix with Billy Ray Cyrus.

Turner isn’t interested in changing what works for him, and instead, follows his heart. He said “If you don’t love it, you’re not going to do it long term.”

“I feel there’s been more experimentation than people following their heart and doing what they really love,” Turner said about country music. “You hear this saying ‘give people what they want’ and sometimes that’s a good thing, but if that’s all you ever do, then nobody’s going to take you seriously over time. I’ve always had the opportunity to give people what they want but also feel I need to do what I can live with.”

While talking about his live shows, Turner said he always thinks of his fans buying tickets with their hard-earned money and wants fans to leave shows feeling better than they did walking in.

“I feel like that’s always been the purpose of live entertainment — give people an escape from the troubles in their lives, jobs or any dysfunction they might be experiencing,” Turner said. “I want them to come in, forget about all that stuff for 75 to 90 minutes and have a good time.”

If you go

What: Josh Turner

When: 8 p.m., Friday, June 17

Where: Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, 84-245 Indio Springs Parkway, Indio

How much: $29 to $59

More information: fantasyspringsresort.com

Brian Blueskye covers arts and entertainment for the Desert Sun. He can be reached at brian.blueskye@desertsun.com or on Twitter at @bblueskye. 

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Country singer Josh Turner to perform at Fantasy Springs on June 17