Lee Turner

While at the University of Florida, LEE TURNER, a native of Jacksonville, was pianist for The Dream Weavers, who had a popular, twice-weekly radio show and performed at personal appearances. In 1955, the group recorded It's Almost Tomorrow, written by members Gene Adkinson and Wade Buff. On January 1, 1956, The Dream Weavers performed the song on The Ed Sullivan Show in New York City, and the song spent 22 weeks on the charts where it reached the top ten. Another song, Into the Night (music by Mr. Turner, words by Wade Buff), was recorded by the group that year and reached number 82 on the charts.

After graduation, Lee and his wife Dianne moved to Louisville, Kentucky, where he graduated with a degree in music from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and Lee was a full-time minister of music for nearly 30 years. Mr. and Mrs. Turner moved to Nashville for two years, where Lee played piano and sang on studio sessions, created piano reductions of orchestrated pieces, transcribed music from recordings, and wrote and arranged music.

Today the Turners have settled in Jacksonville where they have three grown sons and four grandchildren. When they aren't taking care of their publishing company, TurnerSong, or writing songs and arrangements, Lee is in constant demand as a pianist for all kinds of events in Jacksonville and surrounding areas. One such event was a special program at the old Main Library in October, 2003, when Lee Turner improvised a live "soundtrack" for the classic silent horror movie, The Phantom of the Opera.

Amazing Grace, arranged by Lee Turner; words by John Newton, 1779

"I've always loved this grand old song of God's love and grace. It is moving for me that so many have identified with this arrangement and have sung it through the years," said Mr. Turner upon learning that the Vienna Boys Choir, founded in 1498, chose to include his version in its repertoire. "I'm always proud to know when a choir of any kind from churches big and small sings my arrangement. But it is a special honor to have it sung by a choir that was started by royal decree. Some of the great composers wrote for the Vienna Boys Choir, including Mozart."

--Intermezzo Sunday Concerts, November 19, 2006 (The Orange Park Chorale: Music of Local Composers)