Joshua Lee Turner
{{short description|American musician}}
{{distinguish|Josh Turner}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Joshua Lee Turner
| origin =
| website = {{URL|https://www.joshualeeturner.com/}}
| associated_acts = *Carson McKee
| years_active = 2007–present
| instrument = {{hlist|Vocals|guitar|banjo|bass guitar|mandolin|ukulele}}
| occupation = {{hlist|Musician|singer-songwriter|record producer}}
| genre = {{hlist|Folk rock|indie folk|indie rock|bluegrass|classical}}
| birth_place = Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth-date and age|June 22, 1992}}
| caption =
| alt =
| landscape =
| image_size =
| image = Josh Turner (Joshua Lee Turner) playing att Fängelset, Härlanda, Sweden 2019-03-23 03.jpg
| label = Bring Luck
}}
Joshua Lee Turner is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, and internet personality based in Brooklyn, New York.{{Cite web|last=Rollins|first=Scott|date=June 29, 2020|title=Album Review: Sophomore effort Public Life by Joshua Lee Turner out August 7|url=https://thecosmicclash.com/2020/06/29/album-review-sophomore-effort-public-life-by-joshua-lee-turner-coming-august-7/|access-date=August 4, 2020|website=The Cosmic Clash|language=en-US}} He is known for his eclectic guitar and vocal covers posted on his YouTube channel Josh Turner Guitar for which he and long time collaborator Carson McKee have gained millions of views.
Early life and education
Turner began singing at nine years of age and began playing guitar five years later, in January 2006. Over the next few years he became proficient at several other instruments.{{citation needed|date=February 2021}}
In July 2007, he created his YouTube channel, where he began posting covers of popular songs.{{Cite web|author=BWW News Desk|title=GRACELAND LIVE Starring YouTube Guitar Sensation Josh Turner Makes its World Premiere|url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/uk-regional/article/GRACELAND-LIVE-Starring-YouTube-Guitar-Sensation-Josh-Turner-Makes-its-World-Premiere-20190530|access-date=August 4, 2020|website=BroadwayWorld.com|language=en}} His first viral video was his cover of "Sultans of Swing" by Dire Straits. As of January 2025, the video has had 13 million views,{{Cite web|title=Sultans of Swing - Dire Straits (Josh Turner Cover) - YouTube|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5SC1uIxXhk|access-date=August 4, 2020|website=Youtube.com}} and his channel over 737,000 subscribers.{{Cite web|title=Josh Turner Guitar - YouTube|url=https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3Wj9aO8VS5ZuXrtWfJf81w|access-date=August 4, 2020|website=Youtube.com}}
Turner studied music at Butler University, where he also participated in the Butler Chorale, and was music director for the a cappella group Out of the Dawg House.{{Cite news|date=June 4, 2014|title=Senior Josh Turner Performs on ABC's 'Good Morning America'|work=Butler Stories|url=https://stories.butler.edu/content/senior-josh-turner-performs-abcs-good-morning-america|access-date=August 4, 2020|archive-date=August 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806225146/https://stories.butler.edu/content/senior-josh-turner-performs-abcs-good-morning-america|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|date=August 26, 2017|title=Knopfler Solo Technique with Josh Turner – "In The Gallery"|url=https://direstraitsblog.com/guitar-stories/knopfler-solo-technique-josh-turner-gallery/|access-date=August 4, 2020|website=DireStraits|language=en-US}} In 2014, his senior year, he appeared on Good Morning America to perform segments of his cover of Paul Simon's song "Graceland"; the clip became popular on YouTube.{{Cite web|title=College Student's Cover of Paul Simon Is Uncanny|url=http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/entertainment/2014/06/college-students-cover-of-paul-simon-is-uncanny|access-date=August 4, 2020|website=ABC News|language=en}}{{Cite web|title=Video: Open Mike: Paul Simon Cover Goes Viral|url=https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/open-mike-paul-simon-cover-viral-24005194|access-date=August 4, 2020|website=ABC News|language=en}}
Career
In 2018 and 2019 Turner was a cast member in the touring show The Simon & Garfunkel Story{{Cite web|title=Simon and Garfunkel jukebox musical coming to the Bing {{!}} The Spokesman-Review|url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2018/sep/26/simon-and-garfunkel-jukebox-musical-coming-to-the-/|access-date=August 4, 2020|website=Spokesman.com}} and in 2019 starred as Paul Simon in Graceland Live.
Turner released his first full-length solo album, As Good a Place as Any, in April 2019, and his second album, Public Life, on August 7, 2020.
In addition to his solo work, Turner is part of the folk duo The Other Favorites alongside Carson McKee. They released an EP, Fools, in 2017, an original studio album, Naysayer, in 2018, and a live album, Live in London, in 2019.{{Cite web|date=October 15, 2017|title=Artist Interview: The Other Favorites – Josh Turner and Carson McKee prove to be clever songwriters, not fools at all|url=https://www.eartothegroundmusic.co/2017/10/15/artist-interview-the-other-favorites-josh-turner-and-carson-mckee-prove-to-clever-songwriters-not-fools-at-all/|access-date=August 4, 2020|website=Ear To The Ground Music|language=en-US}} In 2021, the duo released the album Unamericana. Turner and McKee frequently perform in YouTube videos and on tour with singer-songwriter Elle Cordova and Toni Lindgren.{{Citation needed|date=March 2025}}
After meeting Allison Young online in 2017, Turner formed a duo with her called The Bygones. The duo announced that they would not be continuing work on the project on February 10, 2025.{{Cite web |title=Instagram |url=https://www.instagram.com/p/DF5dM7mO004/ |access-date=2025-02-11 |website=www.instagram.com}}
Discography
=Solo=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |
| style="width:22em;"| Title
! style="width:25em;"| Album details |
|---|
| scope="row"| As Good a Place as Any {{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_-YkHMlMW8kDY_1m7H0NPt9oGqgDEtOX|title='As Good a Place as Any' album|website=YouTube |date=April 5, 2019}} |
|
| scope="row"| Public Life {{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Fs18SpOmRM|title='Public Life' album|website=YouTube |date=August 3, 2020}} |
|
=The Other Favorites=
=The Bygones=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |
| style="width:22em;"| Title
! style="width:25em;"| Album details |
|---|
| scope="row"| May 9-12 (EP) (Josh Turner, Allison Young) |
|
| scope="row"| The Bygones (Josh Turner, Allison Young) |
|
=Other albums=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |
| style="width:22em;"| Title
! style="width:25em;"| Album details |
|---|
| scope="row"| Josh & Larkin (Josh Turner, Larkin Dodgen) |
|
| scope="row"| Armed and Dangerous (Josh Turner, Carson McKee, Bob Barrick) |
|
Popular YouTube videos
References
{{Reflist}}
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Category:American folk guitarists