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 With that in mind, the fair board is announcing that there will be a
Saturday night concert, and the featured performer will be Nashville
recording artist Josh Turner.
The Friday, August 7th concert will once again this year be a lawn
concert on the southeast corner of the fairground. Guests may bring
a blanket to sit on or bleacher seating will be available. No
lawnchairs will be allowed inside the concert area. Gates will
tentatively open at 6 p.m. with the concert scheduled to begin at
7:30 p.m.
Over the last several weeks, many restrictions have been lifted
particularly for those who are fully vaccinated. The Covid
positivity rate is dropping and there is evidence Illinois Governor
JB Pritzker will be making further adjustments to local restrictions
within the next few weeks.
Irwin said that the fair board is and will be working closely with
the Logan County Department of Public Health to assure the safety of
all those involved with the fair along with those attending.
Regarding the concert, Irwin said that the board is excited to have
Turner come to Logan County. Turner was originally booked for the
2020 fair, and the board feels it was good luck that they were able
to re-book the artist.
Irwin explained that when looking for a concert performer there are
two factors that come into play; budget and routing. The budget is
on the fair board side. They have to choose from a selection of
artists whose concert fee is within the money set aside by the board
for that event.
Perhaps the more difficult part of the selection process is the
routing which is on the artist side. Irwin commented, “I can have
all the money in the world and have access to all the names I want
but if the routing doesn’t work out you simply aren’t going to get
them here.”
Irwin said the process of selecting an artist takes a lot of time
and requires a good working relation with a promoter who helps the
fair board make an affordable selection based availability. “Then I
have to hold by breathe and hope they aren’t so far away that it
prevents them to getting to our venue. The rule of thumb is usually
500-600 miles. If they are within that mileage from a show the night
before they will make it happen. There are also other restrictions
that happen as well. There is usually a rule saying that they won’t
come if they have been within 90 miles, 45 days before or 60 days
after our concert date. These are just some of the things that makes
lining up an act somewhat difficult.”
And again, having a good working relationship with the people on the
other side makes a big difference. This was the case with bringing
Turner to Logan County. “We were lucky enough to stay in touch with
his people last July/August and get him lined back up for this year.
He is a big time performer with lots of songs that music lovers will
recognize.”
Indeed, the music of Josh Turner reflects some of country music’s
finest artists. He lists as his personal favorites and those who
have influenced his music as well-known artists such as Randy
Travis, John Anderson, Johnny Cash, Vern Gosden and Hank Williams.
His album “Country State of Mind” features Turners renditions of
many of the works performed by those artists including Randy Travis’
hit song “Forever and ever, Amen,” Johnny Cash’s “The caretaker,”
and Hank Williams “Alone and Forsaken.”
Be sure to read the complete biography of the music of Josh Turner
included in this article.
Tickets for the concert are set to go on sale June 11th. The cost
will be $22 per guest. Tickets will be sold online at
www.logancountyfairil.com or by visiting the State Bank of Lincoln
Loan Department. The Logan County Fair office is set to open July
1st and tickets may also be purchased there.
Josh Turner Bio
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.”
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 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.
[Submitted by Dave Irwin]
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