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Randy Travis Releases New Album 13 Years After Stroke
The country legend’s ‘Same Old Way’ features 12 never-before-heard songs recorded between 1986 and 2013
5-minute read
Randy Travis has continued making music and touring after a 2013 stroke affected his ability to speak and sing.
AARP (Marisa Taylor)
Many country music fans have grown up hearing Randy Travis’ rich, velvet-smooth baritone in hit songs such as “Forever and Ever, Amen,” “Diggin’ Up Bones” and “Hard Rock Bottom of Your Heart.” Since he burst onto the scene with his 1986 album Storms of Life, he’s had 23 No. 1 hits and taken home seven Grammy Awards.
But in 2013, Travis, now 67, went to the hospital for a respiratory infection that cascaded into viral cardiomyopathy and eventually landed him in a coma. While in treatment, it was discovered he had also suffered a near-fatal stroke. The ordeal affected his movement on the right side of his body and caused aphasia, or difficulty speaking and singing.
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“They said, ‘He’s going to spend the rest of his life hospitalized and bedridden,’” recalls his wife, Mary, who never left his side. “They told him that on our way out of the hospital, and he goes, ‘OK.’ [We thought,] we’re going to go forward. We chose different, and the good Lord has chosen different.”
New beginnings
That was followed by months of intense physical therapy and a lot of uncertainty about what the future might hold for him and his ability to make music. Because the stroke significantly affected Randy’s ability to speak, Mary helps with interviews, articulating answers as he encourages her with the 1,000-watt smile he’s known for.
While his voice and mobility are still compromised, he hasn’t stopped being creative.
Randy Travis performs in 1987 in Cheyenne, Wyoming. A country and gospel musician, singer, songwriter and actor, Travis won seven Grammy Awards prior to a massive stroke in 2013.
Mark Junge/Getty Images
On November 13, he will release a new album, Same Old Way. It features 12 never-before-heard tracks that were recorded between 1986 and 2013. It’s his first collection of new-to-the-public material in more than 18 years.
For the couple, the album feels like both a completely new thing and a time capsule, so “Same Old Way,” the title track, was the perfect expression of this project.
“Same Old Way just seemed appropriate. We bounced around different ideas, trying to tie in Randy’s 40-year career. He always kept it traditional,” says Mary, also 67, who sat next to Randy during a recent video interview with AARP from their home in Tioga, Texas.
“We were trying to tie Storms of Life with what he’s been through as far as storms of life and his viral cardiomyopathy, his stroke, his paralysis, and now the aphasia. ‘Same Old Way’ is the song that he and Kyle Lehning, his career-long producer, wrote together. And it just seemed like the right one [for the title track],” she says.
“Same Old Way” is the first album of completely new material Travis has released in over 18 years.
Courtesy Warner Music Nashville
In 2024, Randy released the single “Where That Came From,” which was made with AI-assisted technology to re-create his singing voice from earlier recordings. His production team sampled his vocals from 43 recording sessions, and the result was shockingly similar to the real thing.
“I cried when I heard it,” Mary recalls. “At that point, it was about 11 years since the stroke, so it was very emotional to hear that voice. It wasn’t perfect, because nobody can do with Randy’s voice what Randy can do with that voice, but it was a beautiful thing to hear. It was emotional for both of us.”
More life to live
This year marked another milestone for the country legend. He’s wrapping up a two-year concert tour, called More Life. It’s a thoughtfully chosen name, as both he and his songs have endured for decades and through many hardships.
“‘More Life’ was a song that Randy recorded before his stroke. It wasn’t in the same vein of country music that we knew Randy Travis sang. It was more of a reflective song about life, and about the end of life,” Mary explains. “It was a God wink, because it was one of those things where [God seemed to say,] ‘You’re going to need this song.’”
The chorus, featuring the Eagles’ Don Henley, goes, “More life, more time, more faith, and the presence of mind to breathe deeper, love stronger, stay in the moment, one moment longer.” It’s a worthy anthem for the tour, which has made stops in more than 50 cities around the country.
Randy’s wife, Mary Travis, has been by Randy’s side throughout his recovery, helping him communicate in interviews and supporting his return to music.
Marisa Taylor
Randy’s longtime band plays the live concerts, and James Dupré, a former contestant on The Voice who played Randy’s son in the fictional 2015 independent film The Price, sings lead vocals. Randy is there, too. He makes several appearances throughout the shows and presides over the operation, ensuring that every detail goes according to plan. “He’s pointing and making sure James goes low when James is supposed to go low,” says Mary. “Randy’s very, very connected to the music.”
James Dupré performs Randy Travis’ classics in 2019. Despite his limitations, Travis remains closely involved in each show.
Jason Kempin/Getty Images
Faith, well-being and new meaning
Randy’s music has an enduring quality that continues to resonate with audiences of all ages. Faith remains a through line, evidenced by songs such as “Three Wooden Crosses.”
He continues to surpass the expectations of his doctors, who said he’d be permanently bedridden or hospitalized following the stroke. For example, in 2016, when Randy was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, he wowed the crowd by singing a few bars of “Amazing Grace” while standing at the podium.
Randy and Mary lean hard into their faith, which has sustained them amid their challenges. These days, Randy spends most of his time in a wheelchair, but he can take short walks around the house. The Travises focus on clean, healthy eating with lots of vegetables and no junk food, though Randy treats himself to a cup of coffee in the morning and wine at night.
Travis and Dupré have formed a close musical partnership, working together to continue bringing Travis’ songs to audiences.
Jason Kempin/Getty Images
Communication was challenging right after the stroke, but they’ve settled into a rhythm that works. “We have our own language, and if he wants something, he lets me know,” Mary says. “People say, ‘Why don’t you just stay at home and enjoy the last years of your life?’ And we’re like, ‘Well, maybe these aren’t our last years. Maybe we’ve got a lot more years.’ And if we’re home for a couple of days, Randy’s looking at his watch and he says, ‘Going, going?’ He loves to be on the move.”
To which Randy responds, “Yeah!” and pats Mary’s hand. That’s more life, indeed.
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