Josh Turner had the perfect clap back to country fans upset by his song “Your Man.” The story puts a spotlight on his early career and misconceptions of him as a new artist.
- Last month, Turner released the 20th anniversary edition of his Your Man album.
- Chris Stapleton co-wrote the title-track and sang backing vocals on a song called “Loretta Lynn’s Lincoln.”
- In 2011, Scotty McCreery used “Your Man” to audition for American Idol. He’d eventually win the season.
Related: Enter To Win a Signed Guitar and Vinyl In Celebration of Your Man 20th Anniversary Edition
Talking to Taste of Country Nights‘ Evan Paul, Turner remembers choosing “Your Man” as a radio single because it showed his versatility.
“After ‘Long Black Train’ had become a hit, people had kind of pigeon-holed me as being that one particular type of artist so we were very intentional about what we came with next,” he shares.
Josh Turner “Your Man” — Story of the Song
Chris DuBois and Jace Everett co-wrote “Your Man” with Stapleton, who at that time was just starting his songwriter journey. Turner recalls having a friendly, professional relationship with the future country superstar at the time of the song’s release (2005).
“When I first found out that he was pursuing the artist thing I was shocked because he was painfully shy,” he says, remembering how Stapleton would back away from any kind of attention.
It’d be another decade before Stapleton really enjoyed success as a solo artist (he was fronting the SteelDrivers at the time) but he’d started to amass hits as a songwriter.
“Long Black Train” peaked at No. 13 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart, but it made him an instant favorite among country fans yearning for a more Christian message on the radio. There were pros and cons to this.
Being branded as country music’s traditional gospel guy gave Turner a huge career boost (he’d later reaffirm by releasing “Me and God” to country radio) but his professional team knew if he only released Christian songs to country radio he’d flame out quickly. So, when it came time to pick a first single from his second album, they went with a catchy, mid-tempo love song.
The problem — if you want to call it that — was the music video.
Turner filmed the video for “Your Man” at the Hermitage Hotel, a high-end hotel in Nashville. It finds him enjoying a night out with a young blonde woman. The action becomes intimate, although it’s all very PG.
“People that didn’t really know me were like, ‘He went from singing this gospel song and now he’s fooling around in a hotel with this woman,'” Turner recalls. “I’m like, (laughing) ‘She’s my wife.’ We were wearing our rings.”
Who is Josh Turner’s Wife?
Jennifer Turner was an essential part of his career at the time. They’d been married a couple years by the time the music video for “Your Man” was released and the singer (then just 28 years old) did his best to be upfront about who he was dancing with.
However news was slow to spread in those days before strong digital news and music platforms emerged. If you didn’t see him live (she was a part of his band) or subscribe to Country Weekly, it’s possible you had no idea who the blonde woman was.
Fifteen years after the video’s release, the Turner’s recreated the music video. They went back to the Hermitage Hotel and danced in their hotel room. There’s a bit of gray in Turner’s beard and the entire clip is much more mature, to the point that they remember to Facetime with their four sons at the end before sending them off to bed.
Learn Which Country Couples Have Been Married the Longest
See which country couples have been married the longest. At No. 1 it’s a couple who have been married for nearly 60 years!
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes
50 Best Country Love Songs
Country music’s 50 best love songs include the legends — Glen Campbell, Conway Twitty, Loretta Lynn and Keith Whitley — and new country crooners like Blake Shelton, Thomas Rhett, Dan + Shay and more. These are the best and most popular country love songs, ranked for 2026.
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes