Remember When Josh Turner Made His Grand Ole Opry Debut in 2001?

On December 12, 2001, Josh Turner made a childhood dream come true when he made his Grand Ole Opry debut. When Turner got to perform on the Opry for the first time, his career was just beginning. In fact, Turner had just graduated from college when he made his Opry debut, which took place at the Ryman Auditorium.

When Turner set foot on the Grand Ole Opry stage for the first time, he was still almost two years away from the release of Long Black Train, his debut album. His first single, “She’ll Go On You”, didn’t even come out until 2002, and it did not hit the Top 40. “Long Black Train”, Turner’s first hit single, was more than a year away from being released.

Turner performed “Long Black Train” for his first Grand Ole Opry performance. Although it wasn’t a hit yet, Turner received two standing ovations after singing that song.

What Josh Turner Says About the Grand Ole Opry

Of course, Turner at the time had no way of knowing he would later become a country music superstar. Nor could he have predicted that he would become a member of the Grand Ole Opry several years later. In 2007, it was Vince Gill who inducted Turner into the Grand Ole Opry. Turner performed both “Long Black Train” and “Firecracker”.

Years later, Turner remains a big fan of the Grand Ole Opry and what it represents.

“At the Opry, you just have to do a song or two, and everything is already set up so it leaves time to mingle and get to know people,” Turner says. “There are always so many artists here, it’s like a reunion every weekend. You get to come [to the Opry] and see people you’ve known for a long time, or you get to meet new people. It’s a really cool way to network and get to know your fellow artists.”

Turner also appreciates how the Grand Ole Opry brings in people from all over the United States and beyond, united by their deep love of country music.

“The Opry draws in a lot of people from all over the country,” he says. “That’s the coolest thing about the Opry. Many different artists — old and new — can come and showcase their talent to a new crowd every weekend. That’s been a great avenue of promotion and a way to stay out there in front of the people and debut new music. … Being able to step out there on the stage and do your three- or four-minute song definitely goes a long way.”

Photo by M. Caulfield/Wireimage for Bragman Nyman Cafarelli