Josh Turner Releases Memorial Day Video Tribute to WWII Veteran Grandfather

Josh Turner debuted the official music video for his deeply personal song "Unsung Hero" on May 23, just ahead of Memorial Day Weekend. Now airing across CMT platforms, the video honors Turner's late grandfather, a World War II veteran, whose story inspired the song nearly a decade ago.

"In December 2014, all of the Turner family had a get-together at my uncle's house," says Turner. "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. 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."

"Unsung Hero" appears on Turner's tenth studio record, This Country Music Thing, honoring the sacrifices of veterans. The music video contains family photos along with medals that have never been seen before, capturing Turner's grandfather and his life in a striking emotional way.

This new album caps a reflective time for Turner, who is celebrating more than 20 years of country music since his career broke with his debut, Long Black Train. He is in the middle of the This Country Music Thing Tour, where he promotes the new album as well as his Greatest Hits album from 2023. The Greatest Hits album includes hits from Turner's career that go back to "Your Man," which just recently hit 233 million views on YouTube and more than 5.3 billion streams worldwide.

Turner has had an impact beyond music. He received the Order of the Palmetto, South Carolina's highest civilian honor, in 2023, and he provides support to the arts education system through his Josh Turner Scholarship Fund. And if that weren't enough, his classic song "Would You Go With Me" has gone viral on TikTok and has put the song back in streams, back on the charts, and brought it to the forefront of a whole new generation of fans.

Turner, a two-time GRAMMY nominee and three-time GMA Dove Award winner, continues to utilize his platform to honor faith, family, and service values now deeply ingrained in "Unsung Hero," a song that resonates long after the final note.