Country singer Josh Turner has a Christmas special that is available on DVD, as well as streaming on the UPtv app. (Courtesy of UMG Nashville)
Josh Turner enjoys the holiday season.
This is exactly the reason he released his first ever Christmas project, “King Size Manger,” in 2021.
Turner is kicking off this holiday season with his first holiday special that will debut at 5 pm Friday, Nov. 18, on UPtv. It will also stream on the UPtv app. The DVD is also available online at joshturner.com.
The country singer also released his album on vinyl for the first time on Sept. 16.
“I was really excited that we were able to release ‘King Size Manger’ on vinyl this year,” Turner says. “I’ve collected vinyl records pretty much my entire life and there is just something extra special about listening to Christmas music on a record player.”
Turner wanted to do the special because it brings back memories of him watching the holiday specials with his family growing up.
The production was filmed at The Grove in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
The Gaither Gospel Series DVD, “King Size Manger,” features new performance footage of Turner singing all eleven songs from his debut holiday album.
It is hosted by Lorianne Crook and Charlie Chase, who also sit down with Turner and his family who share some of their favorite Christmas traditions and holiday memories.
“King Size Manger” by Josh Turner.
“For me, I wanted to make the special laid back and have a relaxed feeling,” he says. “My family is also featured on this and we get to sing with Rhonda Vincent and Pat McLaughlin.”
Sign up for our free Thursday entertainment Newsletter!
Turner says the entire special was filmed in one day, though it was a long and arduous day.
“We knew what we were working towards,” he says. “We had fun playing the whole record. We hadn’t played every single song from the record live. It took some homework before getting it to run smoothly. Once we get into the space, it was decorated so amazing it really had the Christmas spirit.”
Over the course of his career, Turner has always tried to include his family on tour.
His wife is a member of his band and his three oldest boys grew up on the road.
“They are used to being around people and they were featured briefly on the show,” he says. “My oldest son is playing five or six instruments now. It’s pretty amazing to be able to watch his growth myself.”
With “King Size Manger,” Turner wanted to create an album like he’s never done.
“I wanted it to be a spinoff of Randy Travis’ ‘An Old Time Christmas,’ ” he says. “Then I talked to the producer and he told me that I had songs that are reminiscent of The Mavericks and have a Texas Swing sound. Then there’s a song geared toward the military. Then there’s an a cappella one where I’m singing with a small choir. I try to blend all of my influences into my style.”
Comments are closed.