5- He was rejected by every label in town — twice
After releasing a relatively unsuccessful album as Randy Traywick for Paula Records, Travis was rejected by every label in town — “twice,” as he recalled in a 1989 article. They said he was “too country.” So, he released an independent record under the name Randy Ray, recorded live at The Nashville Palace. He played a steady stream of shows in town, and as artists like George Strait came along, he got another shot at a deal. He signed with Warner Bros. Records in 1985 and found fast success alongside producer Kyle Lehning.
4- His first album influenced a whole wave of “neotraditional” country
Randy Travis’ debut record is far more influential than many realize. Storms of Life produced two No. 1’s, a No. 2 and a No. 6. A recent Billboard article shared the significance of the debut. KRTY radio programmer Julie Stevens said, “I wouldn’t just say Storms of Life changed country music: I’d say it saved country music.” The vice president of music programming for CBS Radio Detroit Tim Roberts called it “one of the most -important and impactful country albums of all time.” The neotraditional movement skyrocketed after Travis’ success and helped ease the urban cowboy movement started years prior. It also paved the way for Garth Brooks and the Class of ’89.
3- He has more Grammy’s for gospel albums than country
Randy Travis has a boatload of hardware for his successes. In 2000, he shifted his focus from traditional country to gospel– a trend exemplified by the song “Three Wooden Crosses” and the album Worship & Faith. Surprisingly, he’s since received more Grammy awards for his gospel albums than country. He won the Best Gospel Album grammy three times. He also has two for Best Male Country Performance and one for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals. He’s also won 8 Dove awards (for Christian music), 6 CMAs, 9 ACMs, and 10 AMAs.
2- He remarried his longtime fiancé in 2015 after his health issues
After suffering a massive stroke in 2013, Randy Travis began fighting an uphill battle to save not just his career, but his life. Along the way, his long-time fiancé Mary Davis stuck by his side. Travis and Davis wed in Denton, Texas in 2015. Davis has been a big part of Travis’ recovery, whose physical therapy sessions with her by his side have proved nearly miraculous.
1- He became more known for his acting than his singing in the 2000s
Travis began acting in the early 90s, but he really dove headfirst around 1997. He largely left commercial country music in 1999 in favor of gospel music. That meant that most people were more likely to see Travis on the silver screen or TV screen than hear him on the radio. His starring alongside big names like Patrick Swayze, Ashton Kutcher and Matt Damon turned him into a bona fide movie star, while multiple appearances on Touched By an Angel made Travis a network TV regular. He recently played a dying country star in the film, The Price.