Josh Turner Embraces His Small Town Upbringing
“Not everybody had the kind of upbringing that I had and I’m very thankful that I had it," Turner shares.
Josh Turner may be singing about a “Hometown Girl” in his current single, but embracing his entire hometown in South Carolina is what he’s really proud to do. Turner was the first person in his family to leave their South Carolina town. While the decision to leave was a tough one, the singer knew it was the right one.
“I’ve talked in the past openly about how I feel some guilt at times of being the first Turner to move away from Hannah, South Carolina, but I know that this is where I was supposed to be and I was following the path that God set out for me,” the singer explained of his choice to move to Nashville.
Although Turner’s life has changed quite a bit since his rise to fame, he still embraces his roots.
“It’s crazy when I can go back home and I can go to the grave of my third great grandfather, and even some ancestors that are older than that. It’s a culture. I grew up in amongst the tobacco farming culture which has changed a lot since I was growing up,” shared Turner. “I kind of describe my childhood and my upbringing as kind of a paradise in a way, because I was pretty blessed.”
The small town upbringing played a huge part into his songwriting and career as a country music artist, allowing him to take all he’s learned from his childhood and making it relate to fans.
“Not everybody had the kind of upbringing that I had and I’m very thankful that I had it, and I’m glad I had it because I’m a writer and I’m a creator and I’m a singer and so I take joy in trying to paint that picture for people whether they had it or not,” he explained. “It’s like if they had it they can relate to it, and if they didn’t have it, they get to thinking it’s like wow, that would be awesome to have.”
Turner’s single “Hometown Girl” is currently in the Top 3 at country radio. The track is the second single from his new album Deep South, following “Lay Low.”
