TROY — The Arbogast Performing Arts Center (APAC) welcomes Josh Turner, the voice of country music, to Troy on Saturday, Nov. 12, at 7 p.m.

For two decades, Turner’s deep velvet voice has been the most recognizable on country radio. His unwavering dedication to the tenets of the country genre has inspired a generation of country singers and has bolstered an under served segment of the fan-base.

Turner was born on Nov. 20, 1977, in Florence, South Carolina. From a young age, religion played a large role in Turner’s life and he often sang lead and bass in school and church choirs. During high school, he was a member of the gospel quartet called Thankful Hearts, touring throughout his home state of South Carolina. After high school, Turner moved to Nashville and enrolled in Belmont University.

Turner made his first appearance at the Grand Ole Opry on Dec. 21, 1997, at 20 years old, where he introduced a song he had written entitled “Long Black Train.” He received a surprising standing ovation from the audience that evening and he was even asked to play this soon-to-be hit a second time right then and there.

Shortly after his Opry performance, Turner was signed by MCA Nashville and he recorded his first album, “Long Black Train,” in 2003. Turner’s star was most certainly on the rise. The title song “Long Black Train” was named Song of the Year and Turner was named Songwriter of the year at the 2004 Inspirational Country Music Awards. His new hit song was also nominated for Song of the Year in 2004 at the Country Music Association Awards and won Breakthrough Video of the Year at the 2004 CMT Music Awards. In 2005, Turner was named the Academy of Country Music’s Best New Artist.

His second album, “Your Man,” was released in 2006, earning him two No. 1 songs, with the title track “Would You Go With Me” and the duet “Me and God” with his long-time hero, Ralph Stanley. In less than a year, this second album went Platinum. “Me and God” was named Song of the Year at the 2006 Inspirational Country Music Awards and, once again, Turner was named Songwriter of the Year.

In 2007, Turner hit the musical jackpot with two Grammy Awards; one for Male Country Vocal Performance for “Would You Go With Me” and one for Country Album of the Year for “Your Man.”

Since that first appearance on the Opry stage, Turner has released a total of nine studio albums and 17 singles. Over the last two decades, he has sold over five million albums. Even more importantly, he has served as a mentor to countless up-and-coming country artists.

Josh Turner often describes his music as South Carolina Lowcountry, and his voice and musical style has often been compared to Johnny Cash. He brings his inspirational country sound and his award-winning voice to the APAC this November.