Randy Travis Biography
Randy Travis ( Randy Bruce Traywick) an American country music and gospel music singer, songwriter, guitarist, and actor. He was active from 1978 until being over 50 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, including sixteen that reached the No. 1 position.
Considered a crucial figure in the history of country music, Travis broke through in the mid-1980s with the release of his album Storms of Life, which sold over four million copies. The album established him as a major force in the neotraditional country movement. Travis followed up his successful debut with a string of platinum as well as multi-platinum albums. He is notable for his distinctive baritone vocals, delivered traditionally that have made him a country music star since the 1980s.
Travis saw a decline in his chart success by the mid-1990s. In the year 1997, he left Warner Bros. Records for DreamWorks Records and then for Word Records, where he started recording more Christian material. Although the career shift produced only one more number-one country hit “Three Wooden Crosses”, Travis went on to earn various Dove Awards, such as Country Album of the Year five times.
Since his stroke, which severely limited his singing as well as speaking ability, he has released archival recordings and has also made limited public appearances. Furthermore, Travis, pursued an acting career, appearing in numerous films as well as television series, such as The Rainmaker (1997) with Matt Damon, Black Dog (1998) with Patrick Swayze, Texas Rangers (2001) with James Van Der Beek, National Treasure 2 (2007) as well as seven episodes of the Touched by an Angel television series.
Travis has sold more than 25 million records and has won seven Grammy Awards, six CMA Awards, eleven ACM Awards, 10 AMA Awards, eight GMA Dove Awards as well as a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In the year 2016, Travis was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Randy Travis Age
Travis was born on 4 May 1959, in Marshville, North Carolina, United States.
Randy Travis Career
When he first began his career in music, he used his official name Randy Traywick before as his stage name of which he changed twice to Randy Ray and then later became Randy Travis, he chose Travis in honor of his musical idol, Merle Travis.
While his brother was serving jail time for a high-speed car chase, Randy won a talent contest at a nightclub, in Charlotte, North Carolina. Elizabeth “Lib” Hatcher, the club’s owner, took an interest in the young singer, she hired Randy as a cook and gave him frequent singing jobs at the club. During the late 1970s, Randy worked and sang at Country City USA in Charlotte, North Carolina.
While in his late teens, Travis had another encounter with the law. At his court appearance, the judge told Travis that if he ever saw him back in that court, he would automatically go to jail for a long time. Travis was eventually released into the guardianship of Hatcher, who also doubled up as his manager. The pair began to focus on Randy’s career full-time.
He recorded a self-titled album, Randy Traywick in 1978, for Paula Records in 1978. The next year, he released two unsuccessful singles, “She’s My Woman” and “Dreamin’”.
Throughout the early 1980s, Travis was turned down by every major record label in Nashville. His early demo tapes were scrutinized by record executives as being “too country.” To support them, Hatcher served as a manager of a nightclub, The Nashville Palace. Travis recorded an independent album Live at the Nashville Palace in 1982, Hatcher used the album to acquire a deal with Warner Bros. Records.
In 1992, Travis took a music hiatus to concentrate on acting and landed roles in numerous Western-genre films. He later returned to recording music with the 1994 album This Is Me and the hit single “Whisper My Name”.
Travis parted ways with Warner Brothers three years later and signed a record deal with DreamWorks Nashville. He recorded You and You Alone, which gave the top 10 hits “Out of My Bones”, “The Hole” and “Spirit of a Boy, Wisdom of a Man”. After his good friend George Jones died in April 2013 Travis recorded “Tonight I’m Playin’ Possum,” in Jones’ memory.
Randy Travis Gospel Songs
• Three Wooden Crosses
• Just a Closer Walk With Thee
• Forever and Ever, Amen
• How Great Thou Art
• Softly and Tenderly
• Peace in the Valley
• Blessed Assurance
• Shall We Gather at the River
• The Unclouded Day
• He’s My Rock, My Sword, My Shield
• I’ll Fly Away
• In the Garden
• Sweet by and By
• Are You Washed in the Blood
• Love Lifted Me
• Will the Circle Be Unbroken
• Precious Memories
• You Are Worthy of My Praise
• Diggin’ Up Bones
• On the Other Hand
• Above All
• Pray for the Fish
• Turn Your Radio On
• Hard Rock Bottom of Your Heart
• We Fall Down
• Open the Eyes of My Heart
• Amazing Grace
• He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands
• I Told You So
• Room at the Cross for You
• 1982
• Deeper Than the Holler
• Precious Lord, Take My Hand
• Nothing but the Blood
• Farther Along
• Through the Fire
• Since Jesus Came Into My Heart
• He Walked on Water
• When Mama Prayed
• Were You There?
• Baptism
• Here I Am to Worship
• Better Class of Losers
• Shout to the Lord
• Swing Down Chariot
• If I Didn’t Have You
• O How I Love Jesus
• Angels
• Heart of Worship
• Look Heart, No Hands
• A Few Ole Country Boys
Randy Travis Movies
- Texas Rangers
- White River
- John John In The Sky
- The Trial Of Old Drum
- Baby Geniuses
- The Million Dollar Kid
- Shooter
- Black Dog
- Boys Will Be Boys
- Fire Down Below
- John Grisham’s The Rainmaker
- Annabelle’s Wish
- Edie & Pen
- Frank And Jesse
- Dead Man’s Revenge
- Young Guns
Randy Travis Net Worth
Travis has an estimated net worth of $9 million.
Randy Travis Height and Weight
Travis stands tall at a height of 5 feet 9 inches, with a body weight of 62 Kg or 136 lbs.
Randy Travis Education
Randy dropped out of school and briefly held a job as a construction worker.
Randy Travis Family
Travis was born and raised in Marshville, North Carolina to his parents Bobbie, a textile factory worker, and Harold Traywick, a turkey farmer, horse breeder, substitute school teacher, and construction business owner. He was born and raised as the second of his six siblings.
With his brother Ricky, they were encouraged to pursue their musical talents by their father, who was a big fan of Hank Williams, George Jones, and Lefty Frizzell. He started playing guitar at the age of 8 and also sang in the church of Christ as a boy. In 1979, together with his brother, they began performing at local clubs and talent contests, they were known as the Traywick Brothers.
Randy Travis Wife
Travis married Mary Davis on 21 March 2015. He previously married Elizabeth Hatcher-Travis in 1991 and divorced in 2010, after 19 years of marriage, and their business relationship ended thereafter.
Travis moved in with Hatcher while she was still with her husband, the incident put further strain on her already fragile marriage. She eventually left her husband to be with Randy. In 1982, the pair moved to Nashville, Tennessee.
Throughout this period an unlikely romance began to build between the two. Travis would later state, “I think we discovered how much we needed each other.” He and Hatcher eventually made it public with their relationship and got married in a private ceremony in 1991.
Randy Travis Children
Travis was married to Ritchie Beougher, a cosmetic dentist in Dallas, Texas. The couple shared two children namely; Cavanaugh Beougher and Raleigh Beougher.
- Randy Travis Health
Travis has The stroke taht has severely limited Travis’s ability to talk as well as restrict his ability to do what he loves most: sing and perform. It also took his mobility and also use of the right side of his body.
He was admitted to a Dallas area hospital on 7 July 2013, for viral cardiomyopathy after a viral upper respiratory infection. His state was classified as severe. Three days later, on 10th July, Travis suffered a massive stroke and had surgery to relieve pressure on his brain. 5 days later, it was announced that Travis was awake and alert after undergoing brain surgery, that his heart was also pumping without the assistance of machines, and that he was in the recovery process.
He was released from Baylor Heart Hospital in Plano, Texas on 31 July 2013, and entered a physical therapy facility. Travis was unable to sing or speak and for more than a year had to rely on a cane to walk following his stroke.