Bay Turner’s love for music was first ignited by a gas station mixtape he’d listen to from the passenger seat to and from his dad’s house. Turner’s parents divorced when he was an infant, and when his father moved out to the Texas Hill Country, his weekends were always bookended by a car ride with his dad.
“That hour-and-a-half ride there and that hour-and-a-half ride back were, I think, foundational for who I am,” Turner reflects. “We were both new to Jesus, and we talked about everything you could ever talk about as we were both growing in our faith. And I also think part of my journey as a musician started in that car ride.”
Attempting to mimic the vocal runs of his favorite R&B artists — like Donny Hathaway, Luther Vandross and Stevie Wonder — Turner would sing the songs he’d learned the week before on that weekly drive. In the same way soul music moved the aspiring singer, the playlist from the local Christian station that flowed from his car radio also stirred something in his heart. It would be a long time, however, before Turner realized his simultaneous pull toward both R&B/Soul and Christian music wasn’t by chance.
With his vocal capabilities fully blossoming in college, Turner completed his undergrad, then began participating in young artist programs affiliated with major opera houses around the world. After studying at multiple international houses throughout North America and Europe, the ambitious vocalist relocated to New York in pursuit of a career in classical music.
Although he was vigorously immersed in classical training and evolving into a rising star, Turner’s spirit remained unsettled. As his faith became more of a central force in his life, his values began to clash with the trajectory of a typical opera performer. While walking the streets of Brooklyn in 2018, he was grappling with his next professional steps when he heard voices harmonizing around what sounded like a familiar melody. He followed the sound and found himself in a church, only to realize the Gospel standard was being sung by none other than the iconic Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir.
