Leland Smith Turner Jr.

Lee Turner delighted the world with music for more than seven decades. A gifted writer, arranger, singer, and pianist, he amazed audiences of all ages with his extraordinary talent and electrifying piano technique. Lee passed away suddenly on March 5, 2026, at the age of 89, leaving behind his adoring family, many friends, and countless admirers.

Born Leland Smith Turner Jr. on November 22, 1936, in Jacksonville, Florida, Lee grew up attending Main Street Baptist Church, where he was baptized. He met his wife Dianne as a teenager during a church outing, and they became sweethearts at Andrew Jackson High School. They married while Lee was studying advertising at the University of Florida in Gainesville.

While at the University of Florida, Lee served as pianist for The Dream Weavers, who hosted a popular twice-weekly radio show and performed live. In 1955 the group recorded “It’s Almost Tomorrow,” and on January 1, 1956, they performed the song on The Ed Sullivan Show. The single spent 22 weeks on the charts, reaching the top ten. Lee also composed the music for “Into the Night,” with lyrics by Wade Buff, which reached number 82 on the charts.

After graduating, Lee and Dianne moved to Louisville, Kentucky, where he earned a degree in music from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He served as a full-time minister of music for nearly thirty years at churches including Calvary Baptist in Clearwater, Florida; Main Street Baptist and San Jose Baptist in Jacksonville; and First Baptist Church of Jacksonville Beach. While at the latter, he wrote a widely published arrangement of “Amazing Grace” and a setting of the Old Irish Blessing “May the Road Rise to Meet You,” both of which have been sung by choirs across the country.

In the early 1970s, Lee began a fruitful collaboration with Dick Blanchard. Together they wrote several songs, including “Who Moved?,” which was recorded and performed in concert by George Beverly Shea. Dianne discovered her own gift for writing lyrics, and most of the couple’s nearly 160 songs feature her words. The Turners spent two years in Nashville, where Lee played piano and sang on studio sessions, created piano reductions, transcribed music, and wrote and arranged for artists including Bill and Gloria Gaither, Dallas Holm, Buryl Red, Gary S. Paxton, Don Marsh, Rick Powell, and Sam Pottle. During this period they produced the choir collection Sunshine In My Soul, the adult and youth musical The Church that God Built with Love, and popular children’s musicals They All Sang “Jesus” and Great Men of God.

Lee’s catalog also included the beloved “Make Every Day a Good Day,” performed often at senior centers, a joyous baroque-style reimagining of “Joy to the World,” and a soulful arrangement of “This Is My Father’s World.” His piano parts were known for their distinctive creativity and formidable technical demands.

Lee and his family returned to Jacksonville in 1976, where he continued as minister of music at San Jose Baptist Church. After retirement, he and Dianne became active members of Hendricks Avenue Baptist Church. He remained in high demand as a pianist for events throughout the area, including the Bill Gaither Golf Classic VIP dinner, the Gator Bowl New Year’s Eve VIP party, the Jacksonville Symphony Designer Showcase House, and the Bolles Faculty Christmas Party. He also performed a piano concert for Cliff Barrows’ Senior Celebration at the Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove. In 1998, Lee presented a well-received “Live from the Gallery” concert at The Avenues Mall, broadcast on Jacksonville’s NPR station WJCT-FM. His popular “I Love a Piano” concerts, featuring favorite songs paired with engaging stories about the composers, drew packed houses wherever he performed.

Lee is survived by his wife of many years, Dianne; sons Kelly (Mary) and Gavin (Lori); and grandchildren Carmen, Griffin, and Emily. He was preceded in death by his son, Leland Smith “Bo” Turner III, and grandson Matthew.