Music Minute: Anne Wilson and Josh Turner - The Manger

 

Capitol CMG artist and songwriter Anne Wilson surprises fans with her first-ever Christmas project, The Manger, available everywhere today. The project's standout title-track “The Manger” features revered Country mainstay Josh Turner for an emotional Christmas duet, released today with an all-new lyric video. The record produced by Jeff Pardo and Jonathan Smith is outfitted with four songwriting credits for Wilson, showcasing her “graceful country grit” (American Songwriter). Other project favorites include Wilson's renditions of holiday hymns like “Mary Did You Know” and “O Holy Night,” to the poignant “Just Because It's Christmas” and the countryfied “Kentucky Fried Christmas,” fit for anyone's Christmas playlist wishes.   Wilson's latest single “Hey Girl,” an uplifting, energetic anthem, continues to resonate with fans across the country. Since its release in March, the song hit No. 1 on the TikTok Country playlist, notching over 8.2M+ impressions on the platform. An outpouring of fans have joined Wilson for the making of the official “Hey Girl” music video, which was released in September, in support of the “Hey Girl” movement. Wilson has now launched “Hey Girl Nation” as a community for her fans to connect, encourage self-confidence and remind members of their self-worth.    Just days before her surprise Christmas project, the artist with “unmistakable strength and unique country flair” (American Songwriter) released her first book My Jesus: From Heartache to Hope from Thomas Nelson on Tuesday, Oct. 25. Drawing from her personal experiences of tragedy and loss, Wilson details her path to healing in this book that she hopes will help those going through similar experiences. You can catch Wilson live on tour opening as direct support for Casting Crowns this fall and Phil Wickham later this year before kicking off the new year on the Winter Jam 2023 Tour. For dates and more information, visit www.annewilsonofficial.com and keep up with her on Instagram, Tik Tok and YouTube.

ABOUT ANNE WILSON: Singer/songwriter Anne Wilson knows the healing power of music firsthand. The lyrics of Hillsong Worship's “What A Beautiful Name” became a lifeline for the Lexington, Kentucky native after her brother was tragically killed in a car accident at the age of 23. Although she spent much of her childhood behind a piano, Wilson sang in front of an audience for the first time at her brother's funeral. It was at that moment that she realized what she was born to do. A video of her moving performance organically circulated, eventually landing her a record deal. With a mesmerizing voice and a visible hunger for Jesus, the 20-year-old relies on personal journal entries and time spent in nature for songwriting inspiration.   Wilson's introductory track, “My Jesus”—which she co-wrote with Jeff Pardo and Matthew West—is a warm invitation to experience her Savior in the same intimate way she knows Him. She released a debut three-track single—also titled My Jesus—for Capitol Christian Music Group in early 2021 and followed it up with a live EP, My Jesus (Live in Nashville). Her song, “My Jesus,” charted on the Spotify Viral 50, Shazam Top 200 and Rolling Stone Top 25 Trending charts. Her story was also featured with the Religion News Service and The Washington Post. She made her Opry debut on the iconic stage in September 2021 and was featured in Billboard Magazine as the October 2021 Chartbreaker artist. Wilson's hit single “My Jesus” received a 2022 Billboard Music Award for “Top Christian Song” of the year. After releasing her debut album My Jesus on April 22, 2022, Wilson was crowned as New Artist of the Year at the 53rd annual GMA Dove Awards and is in the running for Favorite Inspirational Artist at the American Music Awards. Her first book, My Jesus: From Heartache to Hope is on shelves now.   ABOUT JOSH TURNER: With his deep bass voice, Turner has sold more than six and a half million records, reached 4.8 billion global streams, and has become a favorite and unforgettable hitmaker on country radio. With timeless songs like “Long Black Train” and “Why Don't We Just Dance,” Turner's five No. 1 singles include “Your Man,” of which the official music video surpassed 100 million views.  Turner released Your Man Deluxe Edition, celebrating 15 years of Turner's iconic double Platinum-selling album, as well as the mini documentary “Josh Turner Your Man 15th Anniversary” (Mini Doc). The Double-Platinum-selling “Would You Go With Me,” featured on Your Man Deluxe Edition, experienced a viral surge across TikTok leading to a jump in streaming which landed the classic country tune on Spotify's US Viral 50 along with Spotify Viral charts in Sweden, Norway, Finland and Iceland. The song continues to be a fan favorite, currently posting over a million streams per week and 1.5M global streams weekly. A native of South Carolina, Turner has been nominated for three GMA Dove awards and won his first GMA Dove Award in 2021 for “I Saw The Light” featuring Sonya Isaacs, off his I Serve a Savior album. Turner has received six Inspirational Country Music Awards, and has been nominated for two GRAMMY Awards, five CMA Awards, two ACM Awards, one CMT Award, and seven ACA Awards. Turner released his first Christmas album, King Size Manger, last year and it has just been released on vinyl.  His first television special, “King Size Manger,” will debut on UPtv on November 18, and will also be available on DVD. To support music and arts education, he created The Josh Turner Scholarship Fund to help students pursue their studies in these fields.  Turner and his wife Jennifer, whom he met as a student at Nashville's Belmont University, have four sons. For more information, please visit www.joshturner.com