In 1998 aged 17, Josh was introduced by his vocal coach Seth Riggs to Grammy-winning producer David Foster and future manager Brian Avnet. He had no recording experience and was preparing to begin his studies at university, and he worked for Foster as a rehearsal singer on several high-profile events including the 1999 Grammy Awards, where he rehearsed 'The Prayer' with Celine Dion as a stand-in for Andrea Bocelli.