Josh Turner is ending 2023 on a high note—the country singer was recently welcomed into Pandora’s Billionaires Club for having his music streamed on the platform more than 2 billion times. He was presented with a Billionaires plaque during an appearance at the Grand Ole Opry.
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“I’m totally blown away by being presented the Billionaire plaque from Pandora for over 2 billion streams,” Turner said in a press release. “So grateful to all of you fans who stream my music and make it a part of your life. Thank you!”
The hit singer was bestowed with another honor, The Order of the Palmetto, by Gov. Henry McMaster of his home state of South Carolina. Turner was given the award for his significant accomplishments in music—including a handful of No. 1 songs like “Your Man” and “Why Don’t We Just Dance”—along with his philanthropic work that ranges from support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to establishing the Josh Turner Scholarship Fund for the Arts, which provides grants to high school students in rural towns in the South wanting to work in the music business.
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Instituted in 1971, The Order of the Palmetto is the highest civilian honor in South Carolina. It “recognizes individuals who have selflessly given of their time, resources and goodwill through a variety of different causes and pursuits to the benefit of their neighbors, fellow citizens and the fabric and prosperity of South Carolina,” as explained in a press release.
“Receiving The Order of the Palmetto is something I never expected, but I am beyond honored and thrilled to be the recipient of it,” Turner added. “My thanks to Gov. McMaster and everyone else that played a part in receiving it.”
In 2023, Turner celebrated the 20th anniversary of his breakthrough hit “Long Black Train,” which he wrote by himself when he was a student at Belmont University in Nashville. “I think there’s a lot of dishonesty and division in today’s world. There are a lot of people who maybe didn’t have a solid upbringing, maybe their head’s spinning and wondering which end is up, and which way is the right way, and they might be confused about things,” Turner shares with American Songwriter about the song’s relevancy. “I think ‘Long Black Train’ speaks to that and allows people to understand that there is truth out there, you just got to seek it.”
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