Josh Turner photo courtesy of UMG Nashville.

Josh Turner is  on a roll and dancing all the way to No. 1, again.  For the fourth week in a row, Josh’s smash hit “Why Don’t We Just Dance” remains at the top of the Billboard Country Songs chart. And his recently released album Haywire is second only to Lady Antebellum‘s Need You Now on the album chart.

In related news, Josh recently announced that he’ll be joining Alan Jackson on his upcoming “Freight Train Tour” set to leave the station on April 8, making its first stop in Estero, FL. “I am really looking forward to sharing the stage with Alan, he has always been one of my musical heroes and I know we will be playing for a great group of country music fans during this tour,”  Josh told fans in a post on his website last week.

And just two nights ago, Josh was the featured musical guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live, performing his chart topping hit “Why Don’t We Just Dance.”  You can watch Josh’s performance right here:

Visit GAC’s official Josh Turner artist section to watch our recent interview clips and Fan Q&A session »

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Josh Turner photo courtesy of UMG Nashville.

Josh Turner’s new album Haywire got off to a great start, selling 85,000 copies in its first week to land at No. 2 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart and at No. 5 on the all-genre Billboard 200. And that news comes as the CD’s first single, “Why Don’t We Just Dance,” holds steady at No. 1 on the Top Country Songs list.

Josh may be hot in the present moment, but part of his success has comes by learning from the past. Randy Travis was a symbolic mentor for him during his formative years, and he’s worked with such previous hitmakers as Trisha Yearwood, Ralph Stanley and Diamond Rio to build his career since he started recording.

But Josh was getting an education about artistry and the music business long before he made his way from South Carolina to Nashville. The stories of established artists can be found in many settings, and Josh looked to those people’s histories to pick up creative nuances or even motivation.

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Josh Turner photo courtesy of UMG Nashville.

Anyone who’s watched just 10 minutes of CNN or Fox News probably understands Josh Turner’s “Why Don’t We Just Dance” very, very well. It’s great to know what’s going on in the world, but when the bulk of what’s presented is disasters and pessimistic politics, it doesn’t do much for the psyche.

Which is pretty much why Josh cut “Why Don’t We Just Dance,” which implores the listener to move the couch, ignore the “315 channels of nothing but bad news” and cut a rug.

“Why don’t we just have some fun?” Josh said to Entertainment Weekly. “That’s what this record’s all about.”

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Josh Turner poses with dancers Ciaran McCarthy and Ashley Anderson (who are married in real life) from his new video, “Why Don’t We Just Dance,” which makes its world premiere on GAC’s "Monday Music Mania" on October 5 at 8 p.m. Eastern. Photo courtesy of UMG Nashville.

When he was a youngster, Josh Turner had some enunciation problems. He’d perform shows for his family, borrowing the name of an established artist he simply couldn’t pronounce properly, Kidney Rogers.

Hannah, S.C., is a long way from country music’s capital, but even then, Josh knew it was his destination.

“My dream was to go to Nashville,” Josh says. “I didn’t know how and I didn’t know when I was going to get there, but my dream was to be here.”

Josh’s rise from “Kidney Rogers” to multi-platinum star is dissected in Origins: Josh Turner, a GAC special that connects the dots between his farm-town beginnings to his current stardom. Grandparents from each side of his family influenced his musical ambitions. And his journey through Nashville’s Belmont University plays an important role in the story.

In addition to conversations with Josh and his family, the special features an acoustic concert with performances of “Long Black Train” and “Why Don’t We Just Dance,” which reached the Top 15 this week among country singles on the USA Today Mediabase chart.

The show is well timed, leading up to the release of his new album, Haywire. Two versions of the CD reach stores Feb. 9: a standard, 11-song release; and a deluxe edition offering two live tracks, the “Why Don’t We Just Dance” video and footage of an interview about the disc’s songs.

Origins: Josh Turner debuts Thursday on GAC at 8 p.m. ET.

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Josh Turner poses with dancers Ciaran McCarthy and Ashley Anderson (who are married in real life) from his new video, “Why Don’t We Just Dance,” which makes its world premiere on GAC’s "Monday Music Mania" on October 5 at 8 p.m. Eastern. Photo courtesy of UMG Nashville.

Mark your calendar and set your DVR for Monday, October 5 at 8 p.m. Eastern. That’s when you can see the world premiere of Josh Turner‘s new video for “Why Don’t We Just Dance” — only on GAC’s Monday Music Mania!

“Why Don’t We Just Dance” is the debut single from Josh’s forthcoming album, Haywire, to be released on February 9, 2010.

Josh recently shot the music video with award-winning directors Robert Deaton and George Flanigen. The video takes the viewer on a trip through time.  Continue Reading

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