In 2016, Country Music Association Awards celebrated its 50th Anniversary. To live it up, various artists in country music lent their voices to some of the most iconic country tracks from the past five decades in a special series called Forever Country Cover Series. This includes Josh Turner, who took on one of the biggest country gospels – and that’s none other than Randy Travis’ “Three Wooden Crosses.”
Turner admitted that he had a hard time choosing what song to cover as there were apparently plenty of great classics to do, but noted that “Three Wooden Crosses” has been one of his favorite songs by Travis. Not only that, but Travis is also the main reason why he decided to be a country singer.
Turner also noted that in addition to being a hit and its commercial success, the iconic track is incredibly written.
Josh Turner’s Stunning Performance
“Three Wooden Crosses” was released in 2002 from Randy Travis‘ album, Rise and Shine. The song – which details the story of a bus crash that killed three passengers as narrated by the son of one of the surviving passengers – was an instant hit. It not only ranked No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart but was also hailed Song of the Year by the Country Music Association in 2003.
Josh Turner‘s heartfelt cover reminded us why it had been a hit all along. Backed by an acoustic guitar, mandolin, and slight harmonies, Turner stripped the iconic country song down to a bare-bones acoustic set while remaining truthful to the message of the track.
And like most of Josh Turner’s songs, the South Carolina native showcased his deep voice that’s beyond irresistible. He even brought out the uncanny resemblance in his voice to Travis’ eminent vocals.
Tune in and play the video below to watch Josh Turner’s astonishing rendition of “Three Wooden Crosses.”