Knoxville, IL (January 24, 2022) – One of country music's most recognizable voices is coming to the Knox County Fair on Thursday, July 14, 2022! Josh Turner, who has sold more than 8.5 million units and has amassed over 2.5 billion online streams, will headline the night with multi-platinum and three-time Grammy-nominated Joe Nichols!

The concert will take place at the Knox County Fairgrounds in Knoxville, IL. Gates will open at 6:00P and the show will begin at 7:00P. Grandstand tickets and track tickets are on sale now at www.KnoxFair.com.

About the Knox County Fair: Founded in 1851, the Knox County Fair is the longest running county fair in Illinois! Find out more about the fair and the concert by visiting www.knoxfair.com or by following them on Facebook @knoxcofair. 

ARTIST BIOS:

About Josh Turner: MCA Nashville recording artist Josh Turner, while a multi-platinum-selling star himself, is a country music fan first and foremost. He’s even concocted his own version of Mount Rushmore conceived solely of country music legends. Turner’s “Mount Rushmore of Country Music” boasts five faces rather than four (it’s his mountain, after all) — Randy Travis, John Anderson, Johnny Cash, Vern Gosdin, and Hank Williams.

The giants carved into the granite of Turner’s musical soul form the core of his aptly titled new album, Country State of Mind. “I’ve always said that any song you hear coming from my voice, you’re going to hear bits and pieces of those five guys,” he says. “They taught me how to be Josh Turner.”

The dozen songs on Country State of Mind, including songs from those five legends among others, span more than half a century of classic country music, encompassing both well-known standards and deep-catalog cuts. The album shows a singer in dialogue with the songs and the artists that shaped his vision. It’s a conversation — relayed in the distinctive, resonant baritone that brought Turner #1 hits and five gold and platinum albums — between the past and present of country music. And on half the tracks, Turner invites other voices — some heroes, some contemporaries — to join him in the conversation.

“I knew the artists I wanted to represent,” explains Turner, “and I chose songs that exemplified who each of these artists was from my perspective.” The result is a multifaceted album that reflects a distinctive mix of popular and personally meaningful songs. “Forever and Ever, Amen” marks Randy Travis’ first recording session since an incapacitating 2013 stroke. John Anderson, who has written and recorded with Turner in the past, joins him to reprise Anderson’s 1993 hit “I’ve Got It Made.” Early in his career, Turner often performed Vern Gosdin’s first chart-topping single, “I Can Tell By the Way You Dance (You’re Gonna Love Me Tonight),” and has long dreamed of re-introducing it to a new generation of listeners. Turner plays guitar for the first time on one of his albums on his renditions of Johnny Cash’s “The Caretaker” and Hank Williams’ “Alone and Forsaken” — the album’s oldest, and darkest, songs.

“When I was growing up, before I moved to Nashville, I was crazy about sad songs,” he says. “There has always been a part of my heart that has loved those sad, lonesome, and slow songs.”

Turner chose his guests as carefully as he did his material, selecting artists who shared his love and respect for the material. “I wanted artists I knew have an appreciation for traditional country music,” he says. Besides heroes Travis and Anderson, Turner invited Country Music Hall of Famer Kris Kristofferson to record a new version of his 1973 chart-topper “Why Me” with him. The title track, originally a 1986 hit for Hank Williams Jr., becomes a duet with fellow 

Grand Ole Opry member Chris Janson. The members of Runaway June take George Jones’ part on “You Don’t Seem to Miss Me,” and Maddie & Tae sing with Turner on “Desperately,” a 2004 single for George Strait and the album’s newest song.

Country State of Mind also includes songs originally made famous by Keith Whitley (“I’m No Stranger to the Rain”), Waylon Jennings (“Good Ol’ Boys” Theme from The Dukes of Hazzard), and Alan Jackson (“Midnight in Montgomery”).

From the very start of his career through chart-topping hits like “Your Man,” “Would You Go With Me,” “Why Don’t We Just Dance,” and “All Over Me,” Turner has immersed himself in country music’s history and its iconic figures. After all, this is someone who, as a student at Nashville’s Belmont University, took an open gate on Johnny Cash’s property as a sign he should knock on the legendary singer’s door and introduce himself.

“The doorknob wiggles, the door swings open, and there stands Johnny Cash,” Turner recalls. “He and I both jump back, because he didn’t expect to see me, and I sure didn’t expect him to answer the door.”

Later, as the hits came, along with multiple GRAMMY, CMA, and ACM nominations, Turner joined the Grand Ole Opry. One of country music’s oldest and most hallowed traditions, the Opry once counted Hank Williams Sr., Johnny Cash, and George Jones among its ranks; now, Turner shares membership with heroes like Randy Travis, Alan Jackson, and Patty Loveless, as well as guest Chris Janson.

For nearly two decades, Turner has been one of country music’s most recognizable voices, selling more than 8.5 million units and amassing more than 2.5 billion global streams. He has never kept his reverence for traditional country music a secret, but, with this latest album, Josh Turner is definitely in a Country State of Mind.

Really, though, he always has been.

For more information on Josh Turner, visit www.JoshTurner.com.

About Joe Nichols: Joe Nichols has been a mainstay of country music for two decades, bridging the gap between the genre’s old-school roots and contemporary era. He’s a 21st century traditionalist — an artist who’s both timely and timeless, racking up a half-dozen Number 1 singles and ten Top 10 hits with a sound that honors his heroes. From his first radio smash, 2002’s “The Impossible,” to 2021’s Home Run,” Nichols has proudly done things his own way, blurring the boundaries between country music’s past and present along the way.

It’s an approach that has earned Nichols multi-platinum success, three Grammy nominations, a CMA award, an ACM trophy, and — perhaps most importantly — the support of his idols. He still remembers the day he received a letter from Buck Owens, who passed away the same week his message arrived in Nichols’ mailbox. The two had previously crossed paths in Bakersfield, California, where Owens complimented Nichols on his classic sound… and gave him some good-natured teasing about the length of his hair.

“He wrote me the day before he died,” remembers Nichols, who was still riding high on the success of his gold-selling fourth album, III, and its chart-topping single “Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off.” “It was so nice of him to do that. He said, ‘I’m really proud of you. I love the way you’re keeping it country. And thank you for cutting that daggum hair!’ An honor like that is irreplaceable. It’s got nothing to do with winning awards or having your songs on the radio. It’s much more than that. It’s the kind of thing you pass down to your grandkids.”

For Nichols — an Arkansas native who grew up listening to icons like George Strait, Merle Haggard, George Jones, and Buck Owens — keeping things country has been a lifelong mission. He made his major-label debut with 2002’s Man With A Memory, a platinum-selling album rooted in southern storytelling and honky-tonk hooks, then continued blending the worlds of neo-traditionalist country and modern twang with follow-up records like Real Things, Crickets, and It Never Gets Old. Between duetting with Dolly Parton on “If I Were a Carpenter,” serving as Garth Brooks’ hand-picked opening act, and numerous other career milestones, Nichols also kept things lighthearted, showcasing his easy-going humor with “Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off” and a slow, shuffling cover of Six Mix-a-Lot’s “Baby Got Back.” At the core of his sound, though, remained a serious commitment to a bigger goal: making genuine country music that nodded to his influences while still breaking new ground. 

“It’s a fine line to walk,” he admits. “How do you stay fresh while also honoring your roots? I’ve always admired people like Merle Haggard and Buck Owens, who built their careers on timeless songs and created their own sound by electrifying traditional country music. It’s one thing to have hit songs, but it’s something else entirely to have hits that still sound timeless 15 years later. That’s always been my goal. I’m a country singer who loves the old-school stuff. I throw it back and pay homage to the guys I grew up listening to, while hopefully bringing that sound into the modern world.”

Nichols swings for the fences once again with his newest single, “Home Run,” written by award-winning songwriters Ashley Gorley, Dallas Davidson and Ross Copperman. It’s a song about reconnection and rebirth — an anthem for anyone looking to turn life’s curveballs into a straight shot toward the center field seats. 

“It’s more than a great hook; it’s a great message, too,” says Nichols. “After the year we’ve had, we could all use a little bit of a break, just to step away from the rat race for a while and get back to our roots. We could all use a reminder of what home feels like.” 

“Home Run” reunites Nichols with acclaimed music producers Mickey Jack Cones and Derek George, who helmed Nichols’ much-lauded 2013 Red Bow Records album Crickets containing back-to-back number 1 hits “Sunny and 75” and “Yeah.”

Additionally, “Home Run” reunites Nichols with longtime collaborator and legendary label head Benny Brown, who helped Nichols achieve success at Red Bow Records before signing him to the newly-formed Quartz Hill Records in early 2021. The song marks the singer’s first release for Quartz Hill, ushering in a new era of classic-influenced country music. For Nichols — an artist who remains focused on honoring his roots — there couldn’t be a better group of partners to join him in the next phase of his career.

“For the first time in a long time, I don’t feel any pressure,” he says. “I’m around great people. I’m the type of person who’s always striving for more, but I’ve reached a place where I’m grateful for everything I’ve accomplished so far. It’s been such a good run. I feel at peace, and that has freed me up to make new music that’s very honest.” 

Carrying the torch for traditional country music is a full-time job, even for a legend in the making. Joe Nichols continues to meet the challenge with the same roll-up-your-sleeves work ethic that helped launch his career decades earlier, mixing sharp songwriting, a palpable appreciation for the genre’s past, and modern melodies into his own sound. There’s more music to make. More milestones to chase down. More home runs to knock out of the park.

The game is still unwinding. But Joe Nichols has already hit his home run.

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