It's a Grand Ole Time to Be Josh Turner

Josh Turner photo courtesy of Universal Music Group Nashville.

November 1, 2007 — Last Saturday Josh Turner was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry; on Tuesday he released his third studio album, Everything Is Fine, to rave reviews; and next week he will be vying for the Male Vocalist of the Year award at the CMA awards.

"I'm in a great place," Josh tells The Tennessean. "I've already done so many things that I never thought I'd ever be able to do. I dreamed of coming up here and getting a record deal and singing for a living, but I didn't know what all would go along with it."

Six years after he debuted "Long Black Train" on the Opry stage, Josh has found his voice as a singer and a man. He says the days of being talked into doing something that goes against his better judgment — such as the video for "What It Ain't," which he felt was too risqué in featuring a scantily clad woman — are over.

"There are some songs that people tried to force on me early on in my career that I just fought tooth and nail to say, 'Absolutely not. This is not a Josh Turner song,'" he says. "I haven't had to fight here recently as much, because I have a great team around me. But early on in my career, I felt like I was on my own, and that's not a great feeling."

Josh says on the new album he only recorded songs that meant something to him personally. "But at the same time, I'm always looking for, 'Is there a different way of doing this?' " he says. "I wanted it to have texture and depth and show the maturity and growth I've experienced since the last record."