Jim Turner (singer)
Encyclopedia
Jim Turner an American
singer/songwriter/actor has national credits from Broadway, TV and Radio. Well-known on The Lawrence Welk Show
as the country/pop bass baritone from 1979–82, earlier Jim was cast
on Broadway
for the original Jesus Christ Superstar
, while in New York
on a Nashville folk
rock
tour. Dove Award nominated in 2008 as a Country/Gospel singer for his first radio release in the Christian Music genre, he is the founder of SOUNDS OF PURPOSE, where he remains on the Board of Directors of this music-charged charity.
Awards include the Key to the City of Knoxville, the Key to the City of Lubbock, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Citizen Award, Man of the Year by the Nashville Charities Consortium and the Christian Country Founder's Award by Music City Gospel Conventions. He is a member of AFTRA, SAG, EQUITY, AFM, AGMA and an active alumni of Phi Sigma Kappa, where he still holds the record for being the only student to win the "All Sing" Competition all three years he was their Choir Director and lead singer.
Raised in Knoxville, Tennessee
in the shadow of the Great Smoky Mountains
, Jim got his early experience in a local band performing on the south-eastern college concert and club circuit. He toured Europe
as a youth soloist and classical guitarist for the University of Tennessee
choir
.
After graduating with honors, majoring in Engineering Management and working summers in Music, he moved to Nashville
and launched a career in the lounges of Music City country music
, "jamming" with Doug Kershaw
, Johnny Cash
and Kris Kristofferson
. He found immediate success as a songwriter
, session player and recording artist. Booked on a trip to New York
performing with a variety show, Jim auditioned on Broadway
for Jesus Christ Superstar
, singing the only ballad from Pilate (not with the rehearsal pianist, but his classically-played acoustic guitar). Already a seasoned entertainer, Jim approached this new genre in a way to be competitive with the thousands of actors from national auditions. He asked the MC to introduce him as "Jim Turner from Nashville", and swaggered to center stage with his priceless Spanish guitar strapped to his back, Johnny Cash style!
Jim Turner was the only lead cast right from those "hardwood slats" by Webber and Rice AND the American producer, Robert Stigwood. And, of course, with a mere point to their seat row. Jim went on to be the sole original actor to play two lead roles...the deep bass
part of Caiphas the Head Priest, plus the screaming tenor
of Pilate. After the Los Angeles
run of Superstar, Jim decided to stay on the West coast but returned to his country music roots while adding folk and rock to his acoustic guitar and rangy vocals. He was entertaining on the Los Angeles club circuit (the Palomino, the Pasadena Ice House, the Troubadour), plus colleges, fairs and clubs throughout the country. Jim Turner was signed to the GRC Label, and produced by both Neil Wilburn (Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison) and the late Larry Cox (Jefferson Airplane).
In 1979, he was discovered at a "gig" by TV Producer, Russ Klein, who immediately prompted Jim to audition for his boss, Lawrence Welk
. Shaving his beard the very next morning, he jumped into that audition in front of Welk that afternoon ready to change "hats" again, wearing a big smile and singing the Broadway ballad, "My Cup Runneth Over", with the classical arrangement he had worked out on his guitar while still in college! Welk brought the whole staff into his office, as Jim played guitar and sang requests...Mr. Welk even pulled out his accordion, and joined right in as Jim grinned his way right onto the show with a day's notice.
Hired on the spot, he became the show's featured country/pop singer for its final three years on network TV, and it is in weekly reruns in most states on PBS
Saturday nights at 8E - it is considered the longest running TV Show of all time, with 2010 the 55th year. On the show, and on its concert tours, he also performed duets with Ava Barber
and sang with The Aldridge Sisters
and with Gail Farrell
in addition to his solo numbers. The popular web video site called YouTube
will bring up some amazing songs, if you enter the search term "Jim Turner Welk". Or, Google that search term for two pages of links to individual entries about Jim, with the videos available on the side of the Google page.
During the 1982 World's Fair
, Jim starred in the Broadway pre-run of Drumwright, a project of two-time Tony Award
winner, John Cullum
. This original musical was booked for the next season at the Performing Arts Center, including Kennedy and TN. Instead of playing a "character" again, Jim returned to L.A. to sing, where he went on to headline in his own shows at Knott's Berry Farm
, Opryland USA
, plus long term commitments on the General Jackson
Showboat and at the Louise Mandrell
Sunday Morning Show in the Grand Ole Opry House.
Cast as "Jud" in OKLAHOMA for an EQUITY season in Nashville, Jim received exceptional reviews for his acting and bass-baritone vocals. He also has completed several annual tours of personal appearances all across the country, cruise ships, symphonic concerts, as well as commuting between L.A. and Nashville for his recording commitments and, just recently, his Christian Country concerts.
Jim is also an ordained minister
from the Church of Jesus of Nazareth, a non-denominational church in nearby Madison, Tennessee
. He also obtained his Doctorate in Contemporary Music from Oxford, England in 1993 upon submission of his body of work and thesis. His Master's work was accomplished at the Dick Grove School of Music in Hollywood, with a Major in Harmony. His JCSuperstar co-star, Bob Corff (Jesus), co-ran the original Seth Riggs
Method Studios with Seth, and they taught Jim that style of teaching voice to the top Level Five. Jim added voice coach to his list of talents, and started teaching and running his own record label/studios.
Married to the former Terri Lynn Fraser, of La Crescenta CA, an audio engineer at ABC
when he first met her; working on the stage of Lawrence Welk, November 12, 1980. The Turners now make their home near Nashville. Jim is on the Board of Directors of "The Sounds of Purpose", a non-profit mission bringing music to those who might never be able to afford music lessons or church concerts. He has turned over use of his label, High Anchor Records, for the use of new talent. His recording studios and performance training studios with 1500 background tracks are available to voice students sponsored by the charity.
Jim Turner continues releasing songs to radio in 5 genres, while finishing his debut Inspirational album, SUNDAY BEST, for full release in 2012. Don Frost of Music City Gospel, a friend and neighbor in Hendersonville
owns FrostByte Records, and is acting as Jim's mentor in the Christian Music field. With Jim's first radio song released on FrostByte receiving Christian Music's highest honor, a Dove Award nomination for best singer, Jim continues his dedication to sing where his "God-given" talent leads him, giving back whenever he sees a need.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer/songwriter/actor has national credits from Broadway, TV and Radio. Well-known on The Lawrence Welk Show
The Lawrence Welk Show
The Lawrence Welk Show is an American televised musical variety show hosted by big band leader Lawrence Welk. The series aired locally in Los Angeles for four years , then nationally for another 27 years via the ABC network and first-run syndication .In the years since first-run syndication...
as the country/pop bass baritone from 1979–82, earlier Jim was cast
Casting (performing arts)
In the performing arts, casting is a pre-production process for selecting a cast of actors, dancers, singers, models and other talent for a live or recorded performance.-Casting process:...
on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
for the original Jesus Christ Superstar
Jesus Christ Superstar
Jesus Christ Superstar is a rock opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber, with lyrics by Tim Rice. The musical started off as a rock opera concept recording before its first staging on Broadway in 1971...
, while in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
on a Nashville folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
tour. Dove Award nominated in 2008 as a Country/Gospel singer for his first radio release in the Christian Music genre, he is the founder of SOUNDS OF PURPOSE, where he remains on the Board of Directors of this music-charged charity.
Awards include the Key to the City of Knoxville, the Key to the City of Lubbock, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Citizen Award, Man of the Year by the Nashville Charities Consortium and the Christian Country Founder's Award by Music City Gospel Conventions. He is a member of AFTRA, SAG, EQUITY, AFM, AGMA and an active alumni of Phi Sigma Kappa, where he still holds the record for being the only student to win the "All Sing" Competition all three years he was their Choir Director and lead singer.
Raised in Knoxville, Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
in the shadow of the Great Smoky Mountains
Great Smoky Mountains
The Great Smoky Mountains are a mountain range rising along the Tennessee–North Carolina border in the southeastern United States. They are a subrange of the Appalachian Mountains, and form part of the Blue Ridge Physiographic Province. The range is sometimes called the Smoky Mountains or the...
, Jim got his early experience in a local band performing on the south-eastern college concert and club circuit. He toured Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
as a youth soloist and classical guitarist for the University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
choir
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
.
After graduating with honors, majoring in Engineering Management and working summers in Music, he moved to Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
and launched a career in the lounges of Music City country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
, "jamming" with Doug Kershaw
Doug Kershaw
Doug Kershaw, born January 24, 1936, is an American fiddle player, singer and songwriter from Louisiana. Active since 1949, Kershaw has recorded fifteen albums and charted on the Hot Country Songs charts.- Early life :...
, Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
and Kris Kristofferson
Kris Kristofferson
Kristoffer "Kris" Kristofferson is an American musician, actor, and writer. He is known for hits such as "Me and Bobby McGee", "For the Good Times", "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", and "Help Me Make It Through the Night"...
. He found immediate success as a songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, session player and recording artist. Booked on a trip to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
performing with a variety show, Jim auditioned on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
for Jesus Christ Superstar
Jesus Christ Superstar
Jesus Christ Superstar is a rock opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber, with lyrics by Tim Rice. The musical started off as a rock opera concept recording before its first staging on Broadway in 1971...
, singing the only ballad from Pilate (not with the rehearsal pianist, but his classically-played acoustic guitar). Already a seasoned entertainer, Jim approached this new genre in a way to be competitive with the thousands of actors from national auditions. He asked the MC to introduce him as "Jim Turner from Nashville", and swaggered to center stage with his priceless Spanish guitar strapped to his back, Johnny Cash style!
Jim Turner was the only lead cast right from those "hardwood slats" by Webber and Rice AND the American producer, Robert Stigwood. And, of course, with a mere point to their seat row. Jim went on to be the sole original actor to play two lead roles...the deep bass
Bass (voice type)
A bass is a type of male singing voice and possesses the lowest vocal range of all voice types. According to The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, a bass is typically classified as having a range extending from around the second E below middle C to the E above middle C...
part of Caiphas the Head Priest, plus the screaming tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
of Pilate. After the Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
run of Superstar, Jim decided to stay on the West coast but returned to his country music roots while adding folk and rock to his acoustic guitar and rangy vocals. He was entertaining on the Los Angeles club circuit (the Palomino, the Pasadena Ice House, the Troubadour), plus colleges, fairs and clubs throughout the country. Jim Turner was signed to the GRC Label, and produced by both Neil Wilburn (Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison) and the late Larry Cox (Jefferson Airplane).
In 1979, he was discovered at a "gig" by TV Producer, Russ Klein, who immediately prompted Jim to audition for his boss, Lawrence Welk
Lawrence Welk
Lawrence Welk was an American musician, accordionist, bandleader, and television impresario, who hosted The Lawrence Welk Show from 1955 to 1982...
. Shaving his beard the very next morning, he jumped into that audition in front of Welk that afternoon ready to change "hats" again, wearing a big smile and singing the Broadway ballad, "My Cup Runneth Over", with the classical arrangement he had worked out on his guitar while still in college! Welk brought the whole staff into his office, as Jim played guitar and sang requests...Mr. Welk even pulled out his accordion, and joined right in as Jim grinned his way right onto the show with a day's notice.
Hired on the spot, he became the show's featured country/pop singer for its final three years on network TV, and it is in weekly reruns in most states on PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
Saturday nights at 8E - it is considered the longest running TV Show of all time, with 2010 the 55th year. On the show, and on its concert tours, he also performed duets with Ava Barber
Ava Barber
Ava Barber is an American country music singer and performer. She is best remembered for having performed on The Lawrence Welk Show throughout much of the 1970s and early 1980s....
and sang with The Aldridge Sisters
The Aldridge Sisters
The Aldridge Sisters, Sheila and Sherry Aldridge, are an American singing act that appeared on The Lawrence Welk Show from 1977 to 1982.-The sisters and their family:...
and with Gail Farrell
Gail Farrell
Gail Farrell American singer and songwriter who is famous as a member of the long running TV musical variety program The Lawrence Welk Show.-Biography:...
in addition to his solo numbers. The popular web video site called YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
will bring up some amazing songs, if you enter the search term "Jim Turner Welk". Or, Google that search term for two pages of links to individual entries about Jim, with the videos available on the side of the Google page.
During the 1982 World's Fair
1982 World's Fair
The 1982 World's Fair, formally known as the Knoxville International Energy Exposition, was held in Knoxville, Tennessee, in the United States. The theme of the exposition was "Energy Turns the World."...
, Jim starred in the Broadway pre-run of Drumwright, a project of two-time Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
winner, John Cullum
John Cullum
John Cullum is an American actor and singer. He has appeared in many stage musicals and dramas, including On the Twentieth Century and Shenandoah , winning the Tony Awards for Best Leading Actor in a Musical for each...
. This original musical was booked for the next season at the Performing Arts Center, including Kennedy and TN. Instead of playing a "character" again, Jim returned to L.A. to sing, where he went on to headline in his own shows at Knott's Berry Farm
Knott's Berry Farm
Knott's Berry Farm is a theme park in Buena Park, California, now owned by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, and a line of jams, jellies, preserves, and other specialty food, now part of The J. M. Smucker Company based in Placentia, California....
, Opryland USA
Opryland USA
Opryland USA was an amusement park located in suburban Nashville, Tennessee. It operated seasonally from 1972 until 1997...
, plus long term commitments on the General Jackson
General Jackson (riverboat)
The General Jackson is a riverboat—more specifically, a showboat—based on the Cumberland River in Nashville, Tennessee.The Jackson was named after another riverboat of the same name that was built in 1817; that boat was in turn named for Andrew Jackson. The modern boat was originally an attraction...
Showboat and at the Louise Mandrell
Louise Mandrell
Thelma Louise Mandrell, also known as Louise Mandrell, was born July 13, 1954 and is an American country music singer. She is the younger sister of country singer Barbara Mandrell, and older sister of actress Irlene Mandrell. Louise had a successful singing career in country music with a string of...
Sunday Morning Show in the Grand Ole Opry House.
Cast as "Jud" in OKLAHOMA for an EQUITY season in Nashville, Jim received exceptional reviews for his acting and bass-baritone vocals. He also has completed several annual tours of personal appearances all across the country, cruise ships, symphonic concerts, as well as commuting between L.A. and Nashville for his recording commitments and, just recently, his Christian Country concerts.
Jim is also an ordained minister
Minister of religion
In Christian churches, a minister is someone who is authorized by a church or religious organization to perform functions such as teaching of beliefs; leading services such as weddings, baptisms or funerals; or otherwise providing spiritual guidance to the community...
from the Church of Jesus of Nazareth, a non-denominational church in nearby Madison, Tennessee
Madison, Tennessee
Madison, Tennessee is a neighborhood in northeast Nashville, Tennessee in the United States. It is incorporated as part of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County....
. He also obtained his Doctorate in Contemporary Music from Oxford, England in 1993 upon submission of his body of work and thesis. His Master's work was accomplished at the Dick Grove School of Music in Hollywood, with a Major in Harmony. His JCSuperstar co-star, Bob Corff (Jesus), co-ran the original Seth Riggs
Seth Riggs
Seth Riggs is an American vocal coach and founder of a technique known as Speech Level Singing. Some of his students have included Whoopi Goldberg, Michael Jackson, Kalil Wilson, Ray Charles, Josh Groban and Philip Webb.- External links :...
Method Studios with Seth, and they taught Jim that style of teaching voice to the top Level Five. Jim added voice coach to his list of talents, and started teaching and running his own record label/studios.
Married to the former Terri Lynn Fraser, of La Crescenta CA, an audio engineer at ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
when he first met her; working on the stage of Lawrence Welk, November 12, 1980. The Turners now make their home near Nashville. Jim is on the Board of Directors of "The Sounds of Purpose", a non-profit mission bringing music to those who might never be able to afford music lessons or church concerts. He has turned over use of his label, High Anchor Records, for the use of new talent. His recording studios and performance training studios with 1500 background tracks are available to voice students sponsored by the charity.
Jim Turner continues releasing songs to radio in 5 genres, while finishing his debut Inspirational album, SUNDAY BEST, for full release in 2012. Don Frost of Music City Gospel, a friend and neighbor in Hendersonville
Hendersonville, Tennessee
Hendersonville is a city in Sumner County, Tennessee, United States, on Old Hickory Lake. The population was 51,372 at the 2010 census. Hendersonville is part of the Nashville Metropolitan Statistical Area and is located 18 miles northeast of downtown Nashville. The city was settled around 1784 by...
owns FrostByte Records, and is acting as Jim's mentor in the Christian Music field. With Jim's first radio song released on FrostByte receiving Christian Music's highest honor, a Dove Award nomination for best singer, Jim continues his dedication to sing where his "God-given" talent leads him, giving back whenever he sees a need.
External links
- http://www.JimTurnerMusic.org