Josh Turner to Offer Calm ‘After the Storm’

Josh Turner has teamed with Chattanooga, Tenn., radio station WUSY to headline a benefit for the tornado-ravaged community of Ringgold, Ga. 'After The Storm: Coming Together Benefit with Josh Turner,' is set for July 14 at Ringgold's Davis Cattle Company. Proceeds from the intimate event will be split evenly between the Ringgold band and athletic funds.

On April 27, an F-4 tornado ripped through the city, taking the lives of nine people -- including two high-school students -- and causing major damage to both the local high school and middle school. Insurance is paying to repair the schools' structural damage, but the band and athletic equipment lost in the storm is not covered.

Growing up, the 'Why Don't We Just Dance' singer had limited access to music education. He therefore understands the importance of the creative arts in public school systems.

"There were only 75 people in my graduating class at the school I attended in Hannah, S.C.," Josh says. "It was a small school and that translated into not a lot of opportunities when it came to music. We had academic and sports programs but we never had a consistent music program. We would have a band one year, and a chorus one year, but nothing ever lasted."

For that reason, he created the Josh Turner Scholarship Fund to assist students wishing to pursue a career in the arts and music.

Tickets for the Ringgold benefit go on sale Friday, June 24. They may be purchased on the WUSY/Chattanooga website, at any Northwest Georgia Bank branch in the Chattanooga area, or here.