Career
He has spent nearly thirteen years writing for independent powerhouse Big Yellow Dog Music. In 2007, he had his breakthrough number one song with Carrie Underwood’s massive hit “Before He Cheats” which spent five weeks at the top of the charts. In April 2015, Josh celebrated his 11th number one song "Drinking Class” by country star Lee Brice.
Other number one songs include “Highway Don"t Care” by Tim McGraw (featuring Taylor Swift and Keith Urban), "Drunk on a Plane” by Dierks Bentley, "Neon Light” by Blake Shelton, both “Blown Away” and "Two Black Cadillacs” by Carrie Underwood, “Helluva Life” by Frankie Ballard and “Drunk On You” by Luke Bryan.
“Need You Now” by Lady Antebellum might be considered the signature song of Josh’s career so far. “Need You Now” spent five weeks at number one on the country chart and 14 weeks at number one on the adult contemporary chart.
The song went on to earn Josh two of his four Grammy, winning for both Country Song of the Year and Overall Song of the Year in 2011. Other notable hits include “(Kissed You) Good Night and “Wild At Heart” by Gloriana, “Dancin" Away with My Heart” and “Goodbye Town” by Lady Antebellum, and “Redneck Crazy” by Tyler Farr.
In 2013 he also took home the coveted award for Country Songwriter of the Year.
Josh"s most recent cuts are Tyler Farr’s new single, "Withdrawals," and Lady Antebellum single “Long Stretch Of Love”. Other artists that have recorded Josh’s songs include A Great Big World, Florida-Georgia Lincolnshire, Garth Brooks, Darius Rucker, Martina McBride, Jimmy Buffett, Labrinth, Eli Young Band, Boyzone, Gary Allan, Hank Williams Junior and Susan Boyle. Josh has been an advocate for songwriter’s rights now for several years.
He has made multiple trips to Washington District of Columbia to lobby congress on behalf of all songwriters.
He also performed for the Library Of Congress in 2014 as part of American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers’s “We Write The Songs” series along with Randy Newman, Carly Simon and Heart. Josh also helped write the theme song for American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers’s 100th Anniversary, “More Than The Stars” collaborating with such diverse writers as Ne-Yo, Dan Wilson, Stargate, Bill Withers and others