Joshua Burton
Joshua Allan Burton was a young upcoming LDS musician from Cardston, Alberta, Canada. To say that Josh had a passion for music is an understatement. His memorable music touched the hearts of many people who had an opportunity to attend one of his performances.
He played to a full house for his first solo concert which took place at the Cardston’s Carriage House Theatre, performed on stage with world-class performer William Joseph, and his premiere album titled “Sketches” which was released on 6 November 2010 immediately gained public acclaim. His uncle, Wayne Burton, also a well-known musician, featured an original song by Josh from his “Sketches” album on Sound Cloud.com as a memorial to him. The song is called “An Evening Walk”. Not only did Josh love performing music, but he is also remembered as a composer (he began composing music at age 10), actor, and a compassionate humanitarian whose goal was to uplift others.
He also served a two-year voluntary mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Guatemala Cobán mission. He earned money to support his mission through the sales of his CD. On Saturday morning, 20 July 2013, in route to a service activity with a group of other missionaries and young adults, Josh was seriously injured when the pick-up truck that he was riding in overturned. His back was broken, he suffered a concussion, and his shoulder was also broken. He underwent surgery on Saturday evening to stabilize his spine and passed away from the injuries that he sustained at 11:15 p.m. on Monday evening, 22 July 2013, at the age of 23. At the time of his death, he had been serving for 21 months. Three other missionaries involved in the accident sustained only minor injuries.
The following was reported by Deseret News on Thursday, 1 August 2013:
Josh was the second oldest of nine children and was homeschooled through elementary, middle and high schools. Upon his return from missionary service, he planned on studying music and business.
Josh’s two maxims were “life is music” and “live life to the fullest,” and he worked hard to put these into practice. As a young teenager, Josh first discovered the magic of Fredric Chopin’s “Fantasie Impromptu” and began filling his life with classical mentors like Beethoven, Grieg, Ravel and Rachmaninov.
“If you listen, really listen,” Josh promised in his CD’s dedication, “I think you will hear something more than just notes on a piano, something deeper within the music. And my hope is that you will be better for having heard it.”
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