NASHVILLE — After the announcement Tuesday that Randy Travis would would be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, the famed country singer sat beside his wife on stage at the CMA Theater, where she shared his progress recovering from a life-threatening stroke in 2013. Travis spent six months in the hospital recovering from the episode that initially took his voice and his ability to walk.
Today, Travis has regained his mobility and can communicate a word or two at a time. Earlier this year, he even sang Amazing Grace at a friend's funeral even though his wife, Mary Davis-Travis, said he didn't feel ready. But, he's getting there.
"It's healing every day," explained Davis-Travis. "There's what I call giant baby steps."
Davis-Travis said the couple didn't wake up every morning and realize the singer was significantly healed in major areas. Instead, their triumphs come from being able to walk an extra lap in physical rehabilitation or adding an extra sound or word to his vocabulary.
"It's those things that mean so much," she said. "It's certainly put life in perspective as far as what we need to focus on. ... His goal is to get back on the stage and sing again. There's no quit in this man."
Travis, along with legendary singer/songwriter Charlie Daniels and famed music industry executive Fred Foster, were announced as this year's inductees into the Country Music Hall of Fame. The men will officially become members during the Medallion Ceremony at the Hall’s CMA Theater later this year, Country Music Hall of Famer Brenda Lee revealed during a news conference in Nashville.
Daniels, Foster and Travis all hail from North Carolina and will be the 128th, 129th and 130th members of country music’s most esteemed organization. The Country Music Association created the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1961 as a way to trumpet the genre’s most accomplished and beloved members and preserve their legacy.
Follow Cindy Watts on Twitter: @CindyNWatts
