Randy Travis Surprises Fans at Josh Turner’s Party

When Josh Turner fans gathered at Rocketown in Nashville Friday morning to hear their favorite artist, they got an unexpected bonus: Randy Travis.

"As long as there are people like Josh, I feel like the business is doing really well," Randy told Josh's fans, praising the South Carolina native for keeping traditional country music alive. "At times I feel like we're losing it, but then someone like Josh comes along and it makes me feel better about where this business is at this point in time."

The two men shared stories about songs, the business and their recent collaboration, 'T.I.M.E.,' a duet on Randy's new album 'Anniversary Celebration.'

Fans were delighted as the two singers took time to duet on Josh's breakthrough hit 'Long Black Train,' as well as reaching back into Randy's catalog for a song that was never a single.

"This was the title track to your third album back in 19 something," Josh said as the two singers prepared to sing 'Old 8 X 10.'

"He seems to enjoy making reference to my age," Randy interjected laughing, and then confessed, "In May of this year, I turned 52 years old."

"Like my daddy used to say, 'if I didn't love you, I wouldn't pick on you,'" Josh told Randy with a grin.

Prior to dueting on 'Long Black Train,' Randy told Josh the song reminded him of something Hank Williams might have written.

"This song has meant so much to me in my life and my career," Josh said. "I truly believe that the Lord gave me the lyrics and the melody to this song. I wrote the first two verses and chorus to this one evening after walking across the campus at Belmont [University in Nashville] after listening to a lot of old Hank Williams stuff and it got me thinking about the stuff I grew up listening to -- the Stanley Brothers, Bill Monroe, Ernest Tubb -- that roots, Americana country music."

'Long Black Train' represents many milestones for Josh. "It helped me get my publishing deal. It helped me get my record deal. It was the first song I sang on the Opry. It was the title track to my first record and my first hit. It's just been a huge song for me. I feel like the Lord helped me write this song and a lot of things happened that I never could have planned. It affected people. It's changed people's lives."

Prior to performing 'T.I.M.E.,' Josh told the crowd that he had almost recorded the song on his 'Haywire' album, but it came in too late.

"I had finished the 'Haywire' record. We had mixed and mastered it. I loved it, but we were done so I had to let it go," he says of 'T.i.M.E.' "The next thing I know I had heard that you were doing a duet record and somebody said 'do you want to contact Randy and see if we can get you on that record?' I said, 'no, I want it to happen the right way. I want Randy to ask me.' And he was nice enough to ask."

"You were first on the list," Randy said.

When Josh found out what song they wanted him to record with Randy, he was even more excited. "When they sent me 'T.I.M.E.' I thought I get to do this song after all, well at least half of it," he laughed.

After the two sang the lively up tempo, Randy says his goodbyes. Josh walked him off the stage and returned to do a question and answer session with his fans and sing a few more tunes, including 'All Over Me' and 'Your Man.' He also placed each member of his band in the spotlight and asked them to share why they moved to Nashville and how they got into the business. Josh had been good naturedly teasing some of the guys and when it came time for his wife/keyboardist Jennifer to share her story, she joked that he better not say anything or he'd be sleeping in the dog house in their backyard.

Jennifer originally attended Belmont to pursue Christian music, but wound up singing opera in Europe. "Over there I realized I missed other kinds of music," she said. "When you're in opera, you just practice opera for hours and hours."

She returned to Belmont to get her masters and become a teacher, and that's when she met Josh. She says he's responsible for her going "from opera to the Opry."

More than 500 fans attended Josh's annual CMA Music Fest fan club party, including people from Australia, England, Columbia, Spain, France and Ireland as well as here in the U.S. representing Maine, Washington, North Dakota, California, Florida, Alabama and other states.

"Do we have anybody who is not from the states or from another country?" Josh joked.

"Alabama!" someone in the crowd yelled. Josh laughed and said 'No, there's lots of good people from Alabama."

The party began at 9am and it was nearly 12:30 when Josh wrapped up his performance segment with 'Why Don't We Just Dance?' and fans began lining up for photos and autographs. Josh admitted he used to get nervous before his fan club party. "Then I realized this is just like a big living room and I'm here with my family and my friends," he says. "I feel comfortable. I can answer questions and whether you're from Columbia, TN or Spain, we can all have a good time. It's all about country music. That's what brought us all together."