Photo: Kyle McMahon Media
Josh Turner Gets Personal at A Capitol Fourth 2025: Honoring His Grandfather, His Faith, and His Fans
I had the pleasure of catching up with country music icon Josh Turner ahead of his performance at A Capitol Fourth 2025, and let me tell you, this wasn’t just any old patriotic performance. It was deeply personal. The kind of performance that comes with a decade long backstory, a few tears in the studio and the kind of emotional weight that sticks with you long after the fireworks fade.
Josh will take to the stage this Fourth of July to perform a song that had been sitting in his back pocket for nearly ten years - a song inspired by his grandfather’s World War II service. After digging through his granddad’s old military records and uncovering a story no one in the family had ever fully known, Josh felt compelled to write a tribute. But instead of rushing it out, he let it simmer… for a whole decade.
“I just felt like it was the right time to bring it to the surface,” he told me on Pop Culture Weekly.. “It’s one of only two songs in my career that ever made me cry in the studio.”
Josh Turner joins the lineup of performers at A Capitol Fourth 2025Photo: Capitol Concerts
Cue me holding back tears on the West Lawn of the Capitol.
He debuted the song during Memorial Day weekend and has since performed it at veterans’ events and on The Today Show - but standing in our nation’s capital on the Fourth of July? That’s a whole new level of surreal for him - and for us.Turner’s performance was more than just music. It was a moment - for his family, for our veterans and for every fan who’s ever been moved by a song that cuts deep.
We also talked about his career, which has now spanned more than 20 years. He opened up about the early days, when no one knew who he was or what he stood for and how his faith helped him persevere through the chaos.
“My faith is always being tested,” he said. “But I had to take it one step at a time. One decision at a time. And I did what I felt like the Lord was telling me to do.”
Clearly, it worked. Josh is still going strong with a new album This Country Music Thing, a national tour and a few “secret” projects he couldn’t quite spill the beans on just yet. (But don’t worry - I already made him promise to come back and tell us first.)
Until then, you can catch him on tour, catch his new album wherever you get your music and catch a glimpse of the heart behind the hits. And of course, he'll be performing on A Capitol Fourth 2025, airing live July 4th on PBS, PBS.org & YouTube at 8pm EST and available on demand through July 18th.
Stay tuned. And stay country.
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