Josh Turner is celebrating the 20th anniversary of his hit album, Long Black Train, and the album’s second single of the same name, which were both certified Platinum by the R.I.A.A. On Friday (May 19th), the album was released on vinyl for the very first time, to coincide with the anniversary of the single’s original 2003 release date.
Josh wrote “Long Black Train” while he was still attending Nashville’s Belmont University. “I just remember it being super dark when I had the vision come to me of what I saw, and then I got back to my apartment,” he recalls. “I had these string lights hanging around the perimeter of my ceiling in my room, and I just sat down on the bed and I put my capo on the third fret and just played this B flat chord for what seemed like an eternity before the words started coming out.”
The South Carolina native says he owes his 20 years of success to the fans, country radio and his supportive family and team. “The fact that I’ve been able to have hits and sell records and continue to sell tickets for the last two decades, I think that is the big reason why I’m sitting here celebrating 20 years of my first hit single. Because had it not been for the support of the fans and radio and different people, I wouldn’t have this opportunity or privilege.”
“LONG BLACK TRAIN 20TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR” DATES:
6/3 Pender, NE Cattlemen’s Ball of Nebraska
6/9 Nelsonville, OH Black Diamond Music & Arts Festival
6/10 Renfro Valley, KY Renfro Valley Entertainment Center
6/16 Prestonsburg, KY Mountain Arts Center
6/17 Romeoville, IL Deer Crossing Park
7/1 N. Myrtle Beach, SC Alabama Theatre
7/2 Simpsonville, SC Simply Freedom Fest
7/15 Breim, Norway Norsk Countrytreff 2023
7/22 West Liberty, IA Muscatine County Fair
8/4 Colorado Springs, CO Pikes Peak Center
8/5 Sterling, CO Logan County Fairgrounds
8/10 Grants Pass, OR Josephine County Fairgrounds
8/11 John Day, OR Grant County Fairgrounds
8/12 Oroville, CA Gold Country Casino
8/18 Valley Center, CA Harrah’s Resort
8/24 Princeton, IL Bureau County Fairgrounds
8/25 Watseka, IL Watseka Family Festival
9/23 Columbus, MN Running Aces Casino
Josh has sold more than six and a half million records, reached 5 billion global streams, and has become a favorite and unforgettable hitmaker on country radio. With timeless songs like “Long Black Train” and “Why Don’t We Just Dance,” Turner’s five No. 1 singles also includes “Your Man.”
Audio / Josh Turner says it's a little overwhelming that he's been making music for over 20 years.
DownloadJosh Turner (20 years) OC: …or privilege. :26
“The fact that I’ve been able to have hits and sell records and continue to sell tickets for the last two decades, I think that is the big reason why I’m sitting here celebrating 20 years of my first hit single. Because had it not been for the support of the fans and radio and different people, I wouldn’t have this opportunity or privilege.”
Audio / Josh Turner recalls the night he wrote the song "Long Black Train."
DownloadJosh Turner (night he wrote Long Black Train) OC: …coming out. 1:27
“I remember I was in a class called the History of Commercial Music, which I loved that class because I was learning a lot about different artists and different bands and different songs that I wasn’t really familiar with. And that was the class I was in when I found out that the complete Hank Williams box set had been attained by the music library (at Belmont University), and I just perked up when I heard that because I was like I’ve got to get over there as quick as possible and be the first one to check it out. I knew it was coming out, but they were charging like over $200 for it and as a poor college student I couldn’t afford it. And so, that’s one thing that I remember that I rarely talk about in interviews, and then I just remember the walk from the library to my apartment. It was just an unusually dark night, like it was just, I don’t know if the moon was out, I don’t know if it was cloudy. I don’t know, I just remember it being super dark when I had the vision come to me of what I saw, and then I got back to my apartment. I had these string lights hanging around the perimeter of my ceiling in my room, and I just sat down on the bed and I put my capo on the third fret and just played this B flat chord for what seemed like an eternity before the words started coming out.”
