Randy Travis and his wife, Mary, shared the legendary country artist’s story of regaining his voice and continuing to influence generations of country music listeners.
The couple recently met with Southern Living Editor-in-Chief Sid Evans at their home in Nashville, Tennessee. They shared an in-depth conversation for the publication’s Biscuits & Jam podcast, which made its debut this week. Throughout the podcast, the trio reflect on Travis’ decades-long career, how the Country Music Hall of Fame member lost his voice in the aftermath of a near-fatal stroke more than a decade ago, how he returned to music with the power of artificial intelligence (AI), and more.
“I really do,” Mary said, when asked whether she and her husband believe he’s reaching younger audience members. “I think that the exposure is great. The good thing is we see moms and dads, and grandmas and grandpas, bring grandkids or kids to these shows. They’ve probably heard mom and dad, grandma (and) grandpa, playing this music all their life. But then when they get to see him in person, even with the challenges that we’ve had with the health, I think it gives them permission to dive in, into traditional country music. And a lot of them said, ‘I started playing because I heard your music, Randy.’ ‘I got a guitar when I was 5 because of you.’ And you hear those stories and you go, ‘that’s what it’s all about.’”
Travis, 65, released his groundbreaking first AI-assisted single, “Where That Came From,” last year, marking his first studio release in more than a decade. The stroke he suffered in 2013 left him with just a 2% chance of survival. The Grammy Award-winning artist credited AI and longtime producer Kyle Lehning with helping him make his triumphant return to music. Travis has since released “Horses In Heaven,” another AI ballad that made its debut earlier this year. Mary told iHeartCountry at the 59th ACM Awards in May 2024 that “it was so emotional for him and I could hardly hear because I was crying so loud,” when her husband started releasing music again. “It was so beautiful to hear that voice. I waited 11 years just to hear that voice.”
Travis and his wife also spoke about Forever and Ever. Amen, the upcoming biopic about the country star’s life, the inspiration behind his music, and more. Find Biscuits & Jam on iHeartRadio here.