Randy Travis

By Kermit (Kappy) Kapner

For a superstar country performer who was turned down by almost every record label in Nashville – sometimes more than once – Randy Travis has come a long, long way to become one of country music's most celebrated artists. His current status as one of country's top performers was evident during his recent concert in the Palace Theater at the Claridge Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, where an enthusiastic audience heard Travis introduce songs from his latest album, “Rise and Shine,” along with many of his former hits. There's no doubt that his fans adore him.

Backed by an eight-piece band, Travis sans his guitar got off to a quick start with a few songs including “On the Other Hand” before grabbing a guitar to sing a selection of hits that have made him a dominant force in country music. Taking time to speak to the audience, Randy shared some of his background, including a story about his younger brother and a horse, and then admitted, “I was not a nice kid while growing up. In fact, I was awful.” But he noted that he loved his grandfather and the song he wrote about him was No.1 on the charts. “I thought he walked on water and cried when he died at age 93,” Travis said.

The second of six children, he was born Randy Bruce Traywick in 1959. His father Harold, who raised turkeys and bred horses, always wanted Randy to become a country singer and filled his house with the sounds of Hank Williams and Stonewall Jackson albums. Randy got his start at age 16 when he entered a talent show hosted by Country USA. As a soloist, he won hands down.

      He moved to Nashville in 1981 commuting from his home in Charlotte and performed at the Nashville Palace for his independent album, “Randy Ray: Live at the Nashville Palace” in 1983. His big moment came in 1985 when Warner Brothers signed him. His name was changed to Travis, and his first recorded effort for his new label was “Prairie Rose” on the soundtrack to the film “Rustler's Rhapsody.” In 1986, Warner Brothers released his album “Storms of Life” and there's been no stopping Randy Travis since then. The singer has also appeared in a number of films.

Over the years he has been awarded every honor in the music business. He has sold more than 21 million albums, received three Grammys, five Country Music Association awards, eight Academy of Country Music awards and 10 American Music awards. He also received two Dove Awards, the Gospel Music Association's highest honor, for his Inspirational Journey release in 2000.

His latest release, “Rise and Shine,” varies the gospel theme with 13 songs of faith, six of which are co-written by the celebrated singer. At his concert, he offered the gospel number, “Three Wooden Crosses,” and other tunes such as “Digging Up Bones,” “I Told You So,” “There's No Place Like Home,” “Forever and Ever Amen,” the long-time favorite “King of the Road” and more. Rise and Shine is Randy's first album for World Records, and Travis explained that he has wanted to record another inspirational CD since “Inspirational Journey” and that it's a “performance for an audience that loves the Lord.”

Travis closed his concert with a hit song he wrote shortly after September 11, 2001, titled “America Will Always Stand,” and it proved a fitting climax for a fabulous 90-minute show, and as he stated, “I'm a rare lucky man who has been able to make all my dreams come true.”