Josh Turner Joins Star-Studded Lineup For ‘A Capitol Fourth’

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Josh Turner. Photo: David McClister

Josh Turner will join the star-studded lineup to celebrate the America’s 249th birthday on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol this July 4th as part of PBS‘ A Capitol Fourth celebration.

The multi-Platinum artist will light up the festivities with his classic hit “Firecracker,” from his 2007 album Everything Is Fine, and pay tribute to America’s service men and women with his powerful new song, “Unsung Hero.”

“I’m so honored to be performing at A Capitol Fourth in Washington, D.C. this year, especially my song ‘Unsung Hero’ as it’s really personal for me,” Turner says. “In December 2014, all of the Turner family had a get-together at my uncle’s house. I asked him if he would show me my granddaddy’s medals and papers. When I got to see them, it had a profound effect on me.

“I was made aware that he was an American hero and no one really knew about what he had been through,” he continues. “It was clear to me that he was the epitome of an unsung hero. I wrote the song on Aug 27, 2015, as a tribute to him. The fact that it ended up on a record 10 years later is mind blowing to me. I feel like there are so many others just like him that we don’t know about or have taken for granted. God bless all of our troops and veterans who have made the sacrifices necessary for us to enjoy the freedoms that we have.”

This July 4th, A Capitol Fourth celebrates 45 spectacular years as America’s national Independence Day tradition, broadcasting live from D.C. Beloved actor and television host Alfonso Ribeiro returns to host as the nation celebrates America’s 249th birthday, and the evening will feature all-star musical and patriotic performances from pop, country, R&B, classical and gospel artists including The Beach Boys, The Temptations, Lauren Daigle, Trombone Shorty, LOCASH, Yolanda Adams, Abi Carter and the National Symphony Orchestra.

The 45th anniversary A Capitol Fourth will also feature a celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Army, Navy and Marine Corps and the 2.8 million men and women of our all-volunteer armed forces defending our nation, culminating in a rousing Armed Forces Medley with the service branch color teams.

A Capitol Fourth airs live July 4 from 8-9:30 p.m. E.T. on PBS, as well as to our troops serving around the world on American Forces Network. The program will also be streaming on YouTube and pbs.org and available as Video on Demand for a limited time only, July 4-18.

Lorie Hollabaugh
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