‘I Serve a Savior’: Josh Turner’s Album Featuring Popular Gospel Songs

Singer-songwriter Josh Turner performing at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, in 2017. Rick Diamond/Getty Images

Singer-songwriter Josh Turner became one of country music’s most well-known voices in the early 2000s with hits of “Your Man” and “Would You Go With Me.” After years of touring, Turner decided to take a break in 2018. Suddenly, he found himself with extra time on his hands. He used the grace period to accomplish a longstanding dream of his: to record a country gospel album.

One of his favorite parts of being a musician is time spent in the recording studio, letting creativity run its course while working on new material. For his faith-based album “I Serve a Savior,” he applied his own baritone voice and classic-country style to gospel standards, and added a couple new originals to the mix as well.

A Musical Bond

Josh Turner and his wife Jennifer at the 49th Annual Nashville Film Festival, 2018. Kempin/Getty Images

Turner isn’t the only musician in his family. His wife, Jennifer, is talented on the keyboard and sings. The couple has always bonded over their musical abilities and the album’s title track is a song they wrote together.

The album features some of Turner’s favorite gospel standards including “Amazing Grace” and “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.” The songs are some of the first he learned how to sing and play as a child.

After he and Jennifer had children of their own (four sons), he began singing these classics to them. His sons even joined him in the studio while working on the album, adding vocals to “The River (of Happiness),” another co-written song, this one by Jennifer and their oldest child, Hampton.

Musician Josh Turner performs onstage with his wife at the second Annual New Artist Show at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, 2005. Kevin Winter/Getty Images

The recording of “I Serve a Savior” was a family affair. But Turner also brought into the studio Sonya Isaacs and Bobby Osbourne, two veteran bluegrass musicians, for renditions of country classics written by legends like Loretta Lynn.

New live renditions of staple singles are also featured such as Turner’s 2003 breakout hit “Long Black Train.” The fiddle-tinged country number boasts an old-timey feel with its message standing as a gentle reminder to resist temptation.

Several live recordings took place at the legendary Gaither Studios, the recording hub of Gaither Music in Alexandria, Indiana. The world-renowned company was one of the first to give gospel music a professional home. Gaither oversees a vast collection of both pioneering and contemporary gospel work by artists including The Oak Ridge Boys, Joey+Rory, and Vince Gill.

An Uplifting Journey

Singer-songwriter Josh Turner performing at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville in 2017. Rick Diamond/Getty Images

Since the start of his career, Turner always included select gospel-themed songs in his live sets.  When he began work on his 2018 country gospel album, the singer viewed it as his way of showing listeners just how important faith-based standards have been to his own progression as an artist, and how important it is to keep these classic works alive in contemporary times.

After its debut, “I Serve a Savior” climbed all the way to the second spot on both “Top Country” and “Top Christian” billboard album charts. This highlighted the fact that these songs are still as beloved today as when they were created—even centuries after some were written.

The fan-favorite album has transcended his own listenership over the years, with country music fans and gospel fans alike appreciating the message of faith behind it. One AllMusic reviewer described the record as both “comforting” and “sturdy.” These adjectives poignantly describe the very thing that led him to get to work on the album in the first place.

Josh Turner's 2018 album "I Serve a Savior." Public Domain

In an interview with “People“ magazine, Turner was asked about why he chose his down time to work on such a mighty undertaking. Turner replied that he felt it was “God’s timing,” a comforting and sturdy guide that made the opportunity one he couldn’t ignore.

What began as a fun project for the Turner family turned into the creation of one of Josh’s most popular albums to date. “I Serve a Savior” keeps timeless messages of hope, prayer, and praise alive with Turner’s uplifting journey through gospel’s most enduring standards and contemporary, faith-based songs.