I was just notified that I will get to meet Randy at this Sunday's show in Concho, OK. I am so pumped. Thank you very much for letting me do this. You made my day, rather my year by doing this.
I got to meet Randy last summer in Concho. What a great person he is. he was so nice to me. He stood there and asked me questions about my radio show and what I do. He did not act rushed at all, even though he had just done a full show. What a great human being. I am honored to have met him.
Gosh I can't begin to say how long its been since I've seen Randy in concert. I'm from Kentucky and once I got to see him here. It was at a place called Tombstone Juction near Cumberland Falls. It was a great show and I had taken some good shots of him.
Through the years I've seen him in movies on TV and awards show. I just dont think we see enough of him. When your young and nieve you think if you ever get the chance to meet him, in your dreams you dream of him falling in Love with you. Come on girls fess up I know I'm not the only one who has done this. Ok I got to meet him and that didnt work. Anwayyyyyyyy I've followed him on TV and its always good seeing him or hearing about him. Also good to see that someone can last in a relationship for more than a couple years. Most of all my heart is happy to see and hear about Randy and his life with the Lord. That make my heart smile. Sorry not sure where all this came from. I just want to wish him a Merry Christmas and may Gob Bless and keep you safe through the year. Sharon n Kentucky
To anyone going this weekend, enjoy. I know you will.
The Oklahoman
Randy Travis looks back on “Storms of Life” album nearly 25 years later
Entertainment blogging from The Oklahoman's Brandy McDonnell
Posted by
brandy
on March 19, 2010M at 7:42 am
Country music star Randy Travis, who is playing shows in Tulsa and Concho this weekend,
is in the planning stages of a 25th anniversary album to be released next year.
“Because of what it is, we just want to make it as special as we can,” he told me
in a recent phone interview.
In 1986, the North Carolina native released his genre-altering debut album “Storms
of Life,” which ushered in the neotraditionalist sound after the post-urban cowboy
bust.
In our interview, Travis recalled that he started out with a three-single deal at
Warner Bros., which meant the label was giving him three chances to make it big.
He broke into the top 10 with “1982,” his second single; the label then re-released
his first single, “On the Other Hand,” which initially fell off the charts around
the 60s. The second time around, it became a No. 1 hit.
He still recalls rushing to finish “Storms of Life” with now-longtime producer Kyle
Lehning, who told Travis that if he could sell at least 40,000 copies, they would
get the chance to make another record.
“That would be nice, wouldn’t it?,” he remembers joking.
“Storms of Life” went on to sell more than 3 million units. No joke.
Lehning isn’t the only collaborator Travis is still working with decades later. This
weekend, he will take the stage with fiddler David Johnson, whom he has been performing
with for 33 years. They started making music together back when Travis was playing
the nightclub Country City USA in Charlotte, N.C.
Travis also credits God’s grace and good material for giving him a lengthy career.
“Heck, I don’t know, the grace of God, I guess,” he said with a laugh before getting
more serious. “I was joking about the grace of God, the favor of God, but I do strongly
believe in that. But to me, when you look at the beginning of a career, you can take
a mediocre singer if you have a good enough song, you can have a hit. … The choice
of material to start that career is one of the most important things.
“All right, then you gotta have everything else to go with that. You need to be able
to sing, obviously, you need to know what you can sing, what you should sing, pick
what you like. That sounds real simple, but when you start doing that, then you get
into (wondering) ‘Let’s see, is that something radio would play?’ You’ve gotta fight
to keep away from trying to figure those things out because that’s a losing battle.
“So choose what you love, sing what you truly love and only that. This is what I
believe.”
In concert
Randy Travis
When: 8 p.m. Saturday.
Where: Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Interstate 44 East at Exit 240A, Tulsa.
Information: (800) 760-6700 or Hardrock Casino Tulsa web site.
When: 7:30 p.m. Sunday.
Where: Lucky Star Casino Concho, 7777 N Highway 81, El Reno.
Information: (405) 262-7612 or luckystar Casino Web Site.
Always and Forever...An RT Fan
linda and Guide, Greg
Here is another blog in the Oklahoman. At least they are advertising the shows. I hope he does well. I've taken out any references to URLs as it thought I was posting spam.
The Oklahoman
Randy Travis talks hits, humor and Carrie Underwood before playing two Oklahoma shows
Venerable country music star Randy Travis will play shows in Tulsa and Concho
this weekend. (Warner Bros. photo) Below: Randy Travis invites Oklahoma native Carrie
Underwood to join the Grand Ole Opry in 2008; Underwood introduced Travis’ music
to a new generation when she covered his hit “I Told You So.” (Grand Ole Opry photo)
From Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman.
Singer Randy Travis is hoping to have fun ‘Forever and Ever’
Nearly 25 years after first album, star is having a blast recording, playing live,
telling jokes
The first time a rising country artist told Randy Travis “I grew up with your music,”
the venerable star admits his natural response was, “No you didn’t; I’m not that
old.”
“But the truth is, yeah, I am,” said Travis, who will turn 51 May 4, with a laugh.
“You know, I’ve been doing this for so long that I almost remember no part of life
when I wasn’t performing in front of an audience.”
Travis started his musical career humbly enough at age 9 playing with family bands
at Moose lodges, square dances and VFW halls. But since launching his recording career
nearly 25 years ago, he has marked a distinctive sonic shift in country music, notched
16 No. 1 hits and sold more than 20 million albums. He continues to tour frequently,
with shows this weekend in Tulsa and Concho.
“This year, (there will be) breakdancing. I’m gonna break a banjo and set it on fire
out onstage. No, I’m kidding. You see that happen, and you’ll know I’ve lost my mind
completely,” Travis said during a phone interview in which he joked and laughed often.
“Basically you’re gonna hear the hits. And I love to joke with people; I love messing
and talking. Some nights, I say stuff I don’t know where it comes from, to be honest
with you.”
The North Carolina native has plenty of hits to choose from over the breadth of his
groundbreaking career, which in the 1980s ushered in the neotraditionalist sound
after the post-urban cowboy bust. The singer-songwriter who scored smashes with “Diggin’
Up Bones,” “Deeper Than the Holler” and “Forever and Ever, Amen” has reached the
point where young stars point to his music as influential.
“It’s very humbling that anybody tells you that you had anything to do with them
wanting to be in this business,” Travis said.
For instance, deep-voiced star Josh Turner, 32, has called Travis’ pioneering 1986
album “Storms of Life” the first record he ever bought. In 2006, Turner and Travis
recorded a Country Music Television special together.
carrie underwood - randy travis - grand ole opry
But no one has done more to introduce Travis’ music to a new generation of fans than
Checotah native Carrie Underwood, who covered his 1988 chart-topper “I Told You So”
for her 2007 album “Carnival Ride.” The 2005 “American Idol” winner released her
version as a single in February 2009, then she and Travis re-recorded and re-released
a duet rendition that spring.
The collaboration, which they performed on an episode of “Idol,” became Travis’ first
chart hit since his 2003 smash “Three Wooden Crosses.”
“Radio’s just not that open to playing me that much anymore because there seems to
be an age limit these days. Carrie gave me a boost and did me a favor … and she sang
the fire out of that song. She’s one of the finest singers to come into this business
in many years.” he said. “Carrie has attracted a group of listeners who weren’t necessarily
country fans until she came into this business.”
Their duet is nominated for vocal event of the year at next month’s Academy of Country
Music Awards. Earlier this year, it won the Grammy for best country collaboration
with vocals. Snowed in at his Santa Fe, N.M., home, Travis wasn’t able to attend,
but he admired Underwood’s Grammy performance.
“There are many great singers in this business, female and male, but there aren’t
many of the caliber and the ability that would be asked to walk up and sing with
Smokey Robinson and Usher and Celine Dion on a tribute to Michael Jackson like Carrie
was. And as I sat and listened to that, I think she probably outsang everybody on
the platform that night.”
In between tour dates, Travis is working on a silver anniversary album for next year,
when he will celebrate 25 years since the release of “Storms of Life.” The young-at-heart
performer is seeking new material and guest singers, including perhaps some up-and-coming
stars.
“As you can tell, I don’t take a whole lot serious,” he said with a chuckle. “I think
men usually only mentally age to about 18 and that’s kind of where we stay.
“Personally, I don’t see the need in really getting much older than that mentally.
The body’s gonna age, and you’re gonna slow down. I’m happy to say at 51, I have
not yet. I’m still breaking horses, and I’m gonna keep on doing that as long as I
can. And I’m still just having fun doing the job that I do, be it acting, be it writing,
be it singing.
“I’m doing my best just to enjoy life.”
In concert
Randy Travis
When: 8 p.m. Saturday.
Where: Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Interstate 44 East at Exit 240A, Tulsa.
Information: (800) 760-6700 or Hardrock Casino Web Site
When: 7:30 p.m. Sunday.
Where: Lucky Star Casino Concho, 7777 N Highway 81, El Reno.
Information: (405) 262-7612 or Luckystar Casino Web Site
Always and Forever...An RT Fan
Linda and Guide, Greg
Here is another reade/pre-show article for the show at the American Music Theatre in lancaster, PA.
Enjoy.
Intelligencer Journal
Randy Travis got into trouble before he got into music
Country star to perform at American Music Theatre
Mar 18, 2010 17:21 EST
By JANE HOLAHAN, Staff Writer
Country singer Randy Travis will perform at the American Music Theatre Thursday.
As far as Randy Travis is concerned, Merle Haggard, George Jones, Lefty Frizzell
and Hank Williams Sr., "define what country music is and how it should sound."
Travis, who's coming to the American Music Theatre Thursday, would never include
himself in that lineup.
He may have charted more than 30 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart,
including 16 number ones, but Travis is a modest guy.
"I don't consider myself good at anything," Travis said during a recent phone interview
from Oklahoma, where he was on tour.
He said it in a way that made it clear he wasn't fishing for a compliment, just stating
a fact.
Of course, everyone knows Travis, one of the pivotal figures in country music in
the last 25 years, is good at plenty.
You don't have the kind of career Travis has had otherwise.
It did not start out under the best of circumstances.
"Daddy handed me a guitar and told me to start taking lessons," Travis recalls. "It
wasn't a question, it was an order."
Scared of his father, Travis did as he was told, but was an indifferent student.
"I was still fairly obedient back then," he says with a chuckle. "And truth be told,
I kind of liked it. Not the playing part, the singing part. "
When he started performing, Travis caught the bug.
"I am doing nothing and people are clapping their hands, I liked that," he says with
a laugh.
He started singing songs like "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry," and "Your Cheatin' Heart."
"I'm 8 or 9 years old, I don't understand what they're about," he says. "Who knows
why a kid is drawn into songs like that?"
Travis and his older brother, Ricky (who "can play circles around me") started playing
in bands when they were 10 and 11.
"I actually played in bars when I was 14," Travis says. "Obviously, it's not the
best way to grow up. I was an alcoholic at an early age."
He got arrested several times, got into fights, had motorcycle and car accidents.
"For whatever reason, I truly believe I was taken care of by God," Travis says.
When he was 16, he won a talent contest and was hired at a club called Country City
USA, where he got to sing on stage and watch other performers. He also had to wash
a lot of dishes.
He says two performers, Johnny Russell and Little Johnny Dickens, taught him everything
he needed to know about performing.
"They had the ability to talk to the audience, take them wherever they wanted them
to go, with stories and laughter. I watched them taking an audience from laughing
to tears."
He determined to be that kind of performer himself.
Travis began recording, but didn't have much success at first. He was also still
having problems with the law.
But in 1982, his manager, Lib Hatcher, who would become his wife almost a decade
later, secured a deal for him at Warner Brothers records.
By 1985, his "Storms of Life" was a huge hit, selling more than 4 million copies
and helping usher in the neotraditional movement, where country singers turned away
from the lush orchestration and the rhinestone suits and big hair to return to a
more traditional sound.
"For whatever reason, I have a God-given ability to know what I like," Travis says.
"That may sound simple, but it's not as simple as it sounds."
Travis pretty much owned the 1980s in country music, but he notes that styles have
changed and he's not played on the radio as much these days.
But this past year, he won a Grammy nomination for his album "Around the Bend," and
he and Carrie Underwood won a Grammy for best collaboration for the song "I Told
You So."
And Travis loves the other side of his career, gospel music.
"They're two separate careers," Travis explains. "Some people say I've got a music
ministry. I travel and take the word of God with me."
His concert at the American Music Theatre will feature his hits. Travis says he loves
playing them.
"That's why people come to shows," he says. "The band and I, we go up, joke around
with the audience, have fun playing the hits."
Randy Travis
Thurs. 8 p.m. $67
American Music Theatre
2425 Lincoln Highway East
397-7700.
Country star to perform at American Music Theatre
Intelligencer Journal
Lancaster New Era
Mar 18, 2010 17:21 EST
By JANE HOLAHAN, Staff Writer
Country singer Randy Travis will perform at the American Music Theatre Thursday.
Country singer Randy Travis will perform at the American Music Theatre Thursday.
As far as Randy Travis is concerned, Merle Haggard, George Jones, Lefty Frizzell
and Hank Williams Sr., "define what country music is and how it should sound."
Travis, who's coming to the American Music Theatre Thursday, would never include
himself in that lineup.
He may have charted more than 30 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart,
including 16 number ones, but Travis is a modest guy.
"I don't consider myself good at anything," Travis said during a recent phone interview
from Oklahoma, where he was on tour.
He said it in a way that made it clear he wasn't fishing for a compliment, just stating
a fact.
Of course, everyone knows Travis, one of the pivotal figures in country music in
the last 25 years, is good at plenty.
You don't have the kind of career Travis has had otherwise.
It did not start out under the best of circumstances.
"Daddy handed me a guitar and told me to start taking lessons," Travis recalls. "It
wasn't a question, it was an order."
Scared of his father, Travis did as he was told, but was an indifferent student.
"I was still fairly obedient back then," he says with a chuckle. "And truth be told,
I kind of liked it. Not the playing part, the singing part. "
When he started performing, Travis caught the bug.
"I am doing nothing and people are clapping their hands, I liked that," he says with
a laugh.
He started singing songs like "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry," and "Your Cheatin' Heart."
"I'm 8 or 9 years old, I don't understand what they're about," he says. "Who knows
why a kid is drawn into songs like that?"
Travis and his older brother, Ricky (who "can play circles around me") started playing
in bands when they were 10 and 11.
"I actually played in bars when I was 14," Travis says. "Obviously, it's not the
best way to grow up. I was an alcoholic at an early age."
He got arrested several times, got into fights, had motorcycle and car accidents.
"For whatever reason, I truly believe I was taken care of by God," Travis says.
When he was 16, he won a talent contest and was hired at a club called Country City
USA, where he got to sing on stage and watch other performers. He also had to wash
a lot of dishes.
He says two performers, Johnny Russell and Little Johnny Dickens, taught him everything
he needed to know about performing.
"They had the ability to talk to the audience, take them wherever they wanted them
to go, with stories and laughter. I watched them taking an audience from laughing
to tears."
He determined to be that kind of performer himself.
Travis began recording, but didn't have much success at first. He was also still
having problems with the law.
But in 1982, his manager, Lib Hatcher, who would become his wife almost a decade
later, secured a deal for him at Warner Brothers records.
By 1985, his "Storms of Life" was a huge hit, selling more than 4 million copies
and helping usher in the neotraditional movement, where country singers turned away
from the lush orchestration and the rhinestone suits and big hair to return to a
more traditional sound.
"For whatever reason, I have a God-given ability to know what I like," Travis says.
"That may sound simple, but it's not as simple as it sounds."
Travis pretty much owned the 1980s in country music, but he notes that styles have
changed and he's not played on the radio as much these days.
But this past year, he won a Grammy nomination for his album "Around the Bend," and
he and Carrie Underwood won a Grammy for best collaboration for the song "I Told
You So."
And Travis loves the other side of his career, gospel music.
"They're two separate careers," Travis explains. "Some people say I've got a music
ministry. I travel and take the word of God with me."
His concert at the American Music Theatre will feature his hits. Travis says he loves
playing them.
"That's why people come to shows," he says. "The band and I, we go up, joke around
with the audience, have fun playing the hits."
Randy Travis
Thurs. 8 p.m. $67
American Music Theatre
2425 Lincoln Highway East
397-7700.
Always and Forever...An RT Fan
Linda and Guide, Greg
Thanks Linda, for all these great write ups. Randy makes me laugh at some of the stuff that he says.
So it looks like we can stop expecting something new from him for the remainder of this year.
It looks like they are judging his 25th year when he released his first album not when he actually signed a contract with them.
I can't wait to see what they come up with. As I'm sure every RT fan on these boards and everywhere are feeling, thinking the same way.
hugs, Dee
I agree with you Dee, the reads were good. I always love to have Randy quoted with his sense of humor.
I too was a little disappointed it sounded like we might have to wait until next year but i thought he said in an earlier interview they were kind of working on two different projects so perhaps we'll get something this year. We can hope anyway.
Have a great day everyone.
Always and Forever..An RT Fan
Linda and Guide, Greg
Disappointed that is, to think we may have to wait another year for
something new from Randy. Looking on the bright side...we are already almost 1/4 of the way through the year.
I hope you read right about his working on two projects. So it is possible as you said, that we might still see something this year.
I was intrigued by his saying they were working on something special, that would include guest artists joining him . Much like his "Hero's & Friends" album perhaps. But with (according to the article) newer and more recent artists this time.
It would be nice if some artists would put together a tribute album to him.
As we Randy fans know, he is the main reason many even have had careers. And others still comming into the genre.
Anyway, whatever Randy comes up with, I know for a certainty that I wil love it. Nothing Randy does disappoints me, when it comes to his music releases or his movies. His work has been, and continues to be , a huge part of my lifes enjoyments. I hope I can continue to look forward to more releases from him for many more years.
hugs, Dee
I pray everynight hoping one day my dream will come true of meeting Randy. I am sooooo happy for you!! Yay!! I am so glad you are getting the opportunity to meet Randy. Congrats my friend :)
Congrats to you bixby503!! You will see how easy he is to talk with. He loves to meet and talk with everyone about anything. Enjoy and take pics. cowwoman60 Denise
I got to meet Randy last summer in Concho. What a great person he is. he was so nice to me. He stood there and asked me questions about my radio show and what I do. He did not act rushed at all, even though he had just done a full show. What a great human being. I am honored to have met him.
Gosh I can't begin to say how long its been since I've seen Randy in concert. I'm from Kentucky and once I got to see him here. It was at a place called Tombstone Juction near Cumberland Falls. It was a great show and I had taken some good shots of him.
Through the years I've seen him in movies on TV and awards show. I just dont think we see enough of him. When your young and nieve you think if you ever get the chance to meet him, in your dreams you dream of him falling in Love with you. Come on girls fess up I know I'm not the only one who has done this. Ok I got to meet him and that didnt work. Anwayyyyyyyy I've followed him on TV and its always good seeing him or hearing about him. Also good to see that someone can last in a relationship for more than a couple years. Most of all my heart is happy to see and hear about Randy and his life with the Lord. That make my heart smile. Sorry not sure where all this came from. I just want to wish him a Merry Christmas and may Gob Bless and keep you safe through the year. Sharon n Kentucky
Thank you so much for your comments. I am very excited about meeting Randy on Sunday. This will be a real treat.
You will love meeting Randy this Sunday in Concho, Oklahoma; he is such a gentleman. Have fun at the concert - you will!
Dr Don Givens
To anyone going this weekend, enjoy. I know you will.
The Oklahoman
Randy Travis looks back on “Storms of Life” album nearly 25 years later
Entertainment blogging from The Oklahoman's Brandy McDonnell
Posted by
brandy
on March 19, 2010M at 7:42 am
Country music star Randy Travis, who is playing shows in Tulsa and Concho this weekend,
is in the planning stages of a 25th anniversary album to be released next year.
“Because of what it is, we just want to make it as special as we can,” he told me
in a recent phone interview.
In 1986, the North Carolina native released his genre-altering debut album “Storms
of Life,” which ushered in the neotraditionalist sound after the post-urban cowboy
bust.
In our interview, Travis recalled that he started out with a three-single deal at
Warner Bros., which meant the label was giving him three chances to make it big.
He broke into the top 10 with “1982,” his second single; the label then re-released
his first single, “On the Other Hand,” which initially fell off the charts around
the 60s. The second time around, it became a No. 1 hit.
He still recalls rushing to finish “Storms of Life” with now-longtime producer Kyle
Lehning, who told Travis that if he could sell at least 40,000 copies, they would
get the chance to make another record.
“That would be nice, wouldn’t it?,” he remembers joking.
“Storms of Life” went on to sell more than 3 million units. No joke.
Lehning isn’t the only collaborator Travis is still working with decades later. This
weekend, he will take the stage with fiddler David Johnson, whom he has been performing
with for 33 years. They started making music together back when Travis was playing
the nightclub Country City USA in Charlotte, N.C.
Travis also credits God’s grace and good material for giving him a lengthy career.
“Heck, I don’t know, the grace of God, I guess,” he said with a laugh before getting
more serious. “I was joking about the grace of God, the favor of God, but I do strongly
believe in that. But to me, when you look at the beginning of a career, you can take
a mediocre singer if you have a good enough song, you can have a hit. … The choice
of material to start that career is one of the most important things.
“All right, then you gotta have everything else to go with that. You need to be able
to sing, obviously, you need to know what you can sing, what you should sing, pick
what you like. That sounds real simple, but when you start doing that, then you get
into (wondering) ‘Let’s see, is that something radio would play?’ You’ve gotta fight
to keep away from trying to figure those things out because that’s a losing battle.
“So choose what you love, sing what you truly love and only that. This is what I
believe.”
In concert
Randy Travis
When: 8 p.m. Saturday.
Where: Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Interstate 44 East at Exit 240A, Tulsa.
Information: (800) 760-6700 or Hardrock Casino Tulsa web site.
When: 7:30 p.m. Sunday.
Where: Lucky Star Casino Concho, 7777 N Highway 81, El Reno.
Information: (405) 262-7612 or luckystar Casino Web Site.
Always and Forever...An RT Fan
linda and Guide, Greg
Here is another blog in the Oklahoman. At least they are advertising the shows. I hope he does well. I've taken out any references to URLs as it thought I was posting spam.
The Oklahoman
Randy Travis talks hits, humor and Carrie Underwood before playing two Oklahoma shows
Venerable country music star Randy Travis will play shows in Tulsa and Concho
this weekend. (Warner Bros. photo) Below: Randy Travis invites Oklahoma native Carrie
Underwood to join the Grand Ole Opry in 2008; Underwood introduced Travis’ music
to a new generation when she covered his hit “I Told You So.” (Grand Ole Opry photo)
From Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman.
Singer Randy Travis is hoping to have fun ‘Forever and Ever’
Nearly 25 years after first album, star is having a blast recording, playing live,
telling jokes
The first time a rising country artist told Randy Travis “I grew up with your music,”
the venerable star admits his natural response was, “No you didn’t; I’m not that
old.”
“But the truth is, yeah, I am,” said Travis, who will turn 51 May 4, with a laugh.
“You know, I’ve been doing this for so long that I almost remember no part of life
when I wasn’t performing in front of an audience.”
Travis started his musical career humbly enough at age 9 playing with family bands
at Moose lodges, square dances and VFW halls. But since launching his recording career
nearly 25 years ago, he has marked a distinctive sonic shift in country music, notched
16 No. 1 hits and sold more than 20 million albums. He continues to tour frequently,
with shows this weekend in Tulsa and Concho.
“This year, (there will be) breakdancing. I’m gonna break a banjo and set it on fire
out onstage. No, I’m kidding. You see that happen, and you’ll know I’ve lost my mind
completely,” Travis said during a phone interview in which he joked and laughed often.
“Basically you’re gonna hear the hits. And I love to joke with people; I love messing
and talking. Some nights, I say stuff I don’t know where it comes from, to be honest
with you.”
The North Carolina native has plenty of hits to choose from over the breadth of his
groundbreaking career, which in the 1980s ushered in the neotraditionalist sound
after the post-urban cowboy bust. The singer-songwriter who scored smashes with “Diggin’
Up Bones,” “Deeper Than the Holler” and “Forever and Ever, Amen” has reached the
point where young stars point to his music as influential.
“It’s very humbling that anybody tells you that you had anything to do with them
wanting to be in this business,” Travis said.
For instance, deep-voiced star Josh Turner, 32, has called Travis’ pioneering 1986
album “Storms of Life” the first record he ever bought. In 2006, Turner and Travis
recorded a Country Music Television special together.
carrie underwood - randy travis - grand ole opry
But no one has done more to introduce Travis’ music to a new generation of fans than
Checotah native Carrie Underwood, who covered his 1988 chart-topper “I Told You So”
for her 2007 album “Carnival Ride.” The 2005 “American Idol” winner released her
version as a single in February 2009, then she and Travis re-recorded and re-released
a duet rendition that spring.
The collaboration, which they performed on an episode of “Idol,” became Travis’ first
chart hit since his 2003 smash “Three Wooden Crosses.”
“Radio’s just not that open to playing me that much anymore because there seems to
be an age limit these days. Carrie gave me a boost and did me a favor … and she sang
the fire out of that song. She’s one of the finest singers to come into this business
in many years.” he said. “Carrie has attracted a group of listeners who weren’t necessarily
country fans until she came into this business.”
Their duet is nominated for vocal event of the year at next month’s Academy of Country
Music Awards. Earlier this year, it won the Grammy for best country collaboration
with vocals. Snowed in at his Santa Fe, N.M., home, Travis wasn’t able to attend,
but he admired Underwood’s Grammy performance.
“There are many great singers in this business, female and male, but there aren’t
many of the caliber and the ability that would be asked to walk up and sing with
Smokey Robinson and Usher and Celine Dion on a tribute to Michael Jackson like Carrie
was. And as I sat and listened to that, I think she probably outsang everybody on
the platform that night.”
In between tour dates, Travis is working on a silver anniversary album for next year,
when he will celebrate 25 years since the release of “Storms of Life.” The young-at-heart
performer is seeking new material and guest singers, including perhaps some up-and-coming
stars.
“As you can tell, I don’t take a whole lot serious,” he said with a chuckle. “I think
men usually only mentally age to about 18 and that’s kind of where we stay.
“Personally, I don’t see the need in really getting much older than that mentally.
The body’s gonna age, and you’re gonna slow down. I’m happy to say at 51, I have
not yet. I’m still breaking horses, and I’m gonna keep on doing that as long as I
can. And I’m still just having fun doing the job that I do, be it acting, be it writing,
be it singing.
“I’m doing my best just to enjoy life.”
In concert
Randy Travis
When: 8 p.m. Saturday.
Where: Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Interstate 44 East at Exit 240A, Tulsa.
Information: (800) 760-6700 or Hardrock Casino Web Site
When: 7:30 p.m. Sunday.
Where: Lucky Star Casino Concho, 7777 N Highway 81, El Reno.
Information: (405) 262-7612 or Luckystar Casino Web Site
Always and Forever...An RT Fan
Linda and Guide, Greg
Here is another reade/pre-show article for the show at the American Music Theatre in lancaster, PA.
Enjoy.
Intelligencer Journal
Randy Travis got into trouble before he got into music
Country star to perform at American Music Theatre
Mar 18, 2010 17:21 EST
By JANE HOLAHAN, Staff Writer
Country singer Randy Travis will perform at the American Music Theatre Thursday.
As far as Randy Travis is concerned, Merle Haggard, George Jones, Lefty Frizzell
and Hank Williams Sr., "define what country music is and how it should sound."
Travis, who's coming to the American Music Theatre Thursday, would never include
himself in that lineup.
He may have charted more than 30 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart,
including 16 number ones, but Travis is a modest guy.
"I don't consider myself good at anything," Travis said during a recent phone interview
from Oklahoma, where he was on tour.
He said it in a way that made it clear he wasn't fishing for a compliment, just stating
a fact.
Of course, everyone knows Travis, one of the pivotal figures in country music in
the last 25 years, is good at plenty.
You don't have the kind of career Travis has had otherwise.
It did not start out under the best of circumstances.
"Daddy handed me a guitar and told me to start taking lessons," Travis recalls. "It
wasn't a question, it was an order."
Scared of his father, Travis did as he was told, but was an indifferent student.
"I was still fairly obedient back then," he says with a chuckle. "And truth be told,
I kind of liked it. Not the playing part, the singing part. "
When he started performing, Travis caught the bug.
"I am doing nothing and people are clapping their hands, I liked that," he says with
a laugh.
He started singing songs like "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry," and "Your Cheatin' Heart."
"I'm 8 or 9 years old, I don't understand what they're about," he says. "Who knows
why a kid is drawn into songs like that?"
Travis and his older brother, Ricky (who "can play circles around me") started playing
in bands when they were 10 and 11.
"I actually played in bars when I was 14," Travis says. "Obviously, it's not the
best way to grow up. I was an alcoholic at an early age."
He got arrested several times, got into fights, had motorcycle and car accidents.
"For whatever reason, I truly believe I was taken care of by God," Travis says.
When he was 16, he won a talent contest and was hired at a club called Country City
USA, where he got to sing on stage and watch other performers. He also had to wash
a lot of dishes.
He says two performers, Johnny Russell and Little Johnny Dickens, taught him everything
he needed to know about performing.
"They had the ability to talk to the audience, take them wherever they wanted them
to go, with stories and laughter. I watched them taking an audience from laughing
to tears."
He determined to be that kind of performer himself.
Travis began recording, but didn't have much success at first. He was also still
having problems with the law.
But in 1982, his manager, Lib Hatcher, who would become his wife almost a decade
later, secured a deal for him at Warner Brothers records.
By 1985, his "Storms of Life" was a huge hit, selling more than 4 million copies
and helping usher in the neotraditional movement, where country singers turned away
from the lush orchestration and the rhinestone suits and big hair to return to a
more traditional sound.
"For whatever reason, I have a God-given ability to know what I like," Travis says.
"That may sound simple, but it's not as simple as it sounds."
Travis pretty much owned the 1980s in country music, but he notes that styles have
changed and he's not played on the radio as much these days.
But this past year, he won a Grammy nomination for his album "Around the Bend," and
he and Carrie Underwood won a Grammy for best collaboration for the song "I Told
You So."
And Travis loves the other side of his career, gospel music.
"They're two separate careers," Travis explains. "Some people say I've got a music
ministry. I travel and take the word of God with me."
His concert at the American Music Theatre will feature his hits. Travis says he loves
playing them.
"That's why people come to shows," he says. "The band and I, we go up, joke around
with the audience, have fun playing the hits."
Randy Travis
Thurs. 8 p.m. $67
American Music Theatre
2425 Lincoln Highway East
397-7700.
Country star to perform at American Music Theatre
Intelligencer Journal
Lancaster New Era
Mar 18, 2010 17:21 EST
By JANE HOLAHAN, Staff Writer
Country singer Randy Travis will perform at the American Music Theatre Thursday.
Country singer Randy Travis will perform at the American Music Theatre Thursday.
As far as Randy Travis is concerned, Merle Haggard, George Jones, Lefty Frizzell
and Hank Williams Sr., "define what country music is and how it should sound."
Travis, who's coming to the American Music Theatre Thursday, would never include
himself in that lineup.
He may have charted more than 30 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart,
including 16 number ones, but Travis is a modest guy.
"I don't consider myself good at anything," Travis said during a recent phone interview
from Oklahoma, where he was on tour.
He said it in a way that made it clear he wasn't fishing for a compliment, just stating
a fact.
Of course, everyone knows Travis, one of the pivotal figures in country music in
the last 25 years, is good at plenty.
You don't have the kind of career Travis has had otherwise.
It did not start out under the best of circumstances.
"Daddy handed me a guitar and told me to start taking lessons," Travis recalls. "It
wasn't a question, it was an order."
Scared of his father, Travis did as he was told, but was an indifferent student.
"I was still fairly obedient back then," he says with a chuckle. "And truth be told,
I kind of liked it. Not the playing part, the singing part. "
When he started performing, Travis caught the bug.
"I am doing nothing and people are clapping their hands, I liked that," he says with
a laugh.
He started singing songs like "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry," and "Your Cheatin' Heart."
"I'm 8 or 9 years old, I don't understand what they're about," he says. "Who knows
why a kid is drawn into songs like that?"
Travis and his older brother, Ricky (who "can play circles around me") started playing
in bands when they were 10 and 11.
"I actually played in bars when I was 14," Travis says. "Obviously, it's not the
best way to grow up. I was an alcoholic at an early age."
He got arrested several times, got into fights, had motorcycle and car accidents.
"For whatever reason, I truly believe I was taken care of by God," Travis says.
When he was 16, he won a talent contest and was hired at a club called Country City
USA, where he got to sing on stage and watch other performers. He also had to wash
a lot of dishes.
He says two performers, Johnny Russell and Little Johnny Dickens, taught him everything
he needed to know about performing.
"They had the ability to talk to the audience, take them wherever they wanted them
to go, with stories and laughter. I watched them taking an audience from laughing
to tears."
He determined to be that kind of performer himself.
Travis began recording, but didn't have much success at first. He was also still
having problems with the law.
But in 1982, his manager, Lib Hatcher, who would become his wife almost a decade
later, secured a deal for him at Warner Brothers records.
By 1985, his "Storms of Life" was a huge hit, selling more than 4 million copies
and helping usher in the neotraditional movement, where country singers turned away
from the lush orchestration and the rhinestone suits and big hair to return to a
more traditional sound.
"For whatever reason, I have a God-given ability to know what I like," Travis says.
"That may sound simple, but it's not as simple as it sounds."
Travis pretty much owned the 1980s in country music, but he notes that styles have
changed and he's not played on the radio as much these days.
But this past year, he won a Grammy nomination for his album "Around the Bend," and
he and Carrie Underwood won a Grammy for best collaboration for the song "I Told
You So."
And Travis loves the other side of his career, gospel music.
"They're two separate careers," Travis explains. "Some people say I've got a music
ministry. I travel and take the word of God with me."
His concert at the American Music Theatre will feature his hits. Travis says he loves
playing them.
"That's why people come to shows," he says. "The band and I, we go up, joke around
with the audience, have fun playing the hits."
Randy Travis
Thurs. 8 p.m. $67
American Music Theatre
2425 Lincoln Highway East
397-7700.
Always and Forever...An RT Fan
Linda and Guide, Greg
Thanks Linda, for all these great write ups. Randy makes me laugh at some of the stuff that he says.
So it looks like we can stop expecting something new from him for the remainder of this year.
It looks like they are judging his 25th year when he released his first album not when he actually signed a contract with them.
I can't wait to see what they come up with. As I'm sure every RT fan on these boards and everywhere are feeling, thinking the same way.
hugs, Dee
I agree with you Dee, the reads were good. I always love to have Randy quoted with his sense of humor.
I too was a little disappointed it sounded like we might have to wait until next year but i thought he said in an earlier interview they were kind of working on two different projects so perhaps we'll get something this year. We can hope anyway.
Have a great day everyone.
Always and Forever..An RT Fan
Linda and Guide, Greg
Disappointed that is, to think we may have to wait another year for
something new from Randy. Looking on the bright side...we are already almost 1/4 of the way through the year.
I hope you read right about his working on two projects. So it is possible as you said, that we might still see something this year.
I was intrigued by his saying they were working on something special, that would include guest artists joining him . Much like his "Hero's & Friends" album perhaps. But with (according to the article) newer and more recent artists this time.
It would be nice if some artists would put together a tribute album to him.
As we Randy fans know, he is the main reason many even have had careers. And others still comming into the genre.
Anyway, whatever Randy comes up with, I know for a certainty that I wil love it. Nothing Randy does disappoints me, when it comes to his music releases or his movies. His work has been, and continues to be , a huge part of my lifes enjoyments. I hope I can continue to look forward to more releases from him for many more years.
hugs, Dee
I pray everynight hoping one day my dream will come true of meeting Randy. I am sooooo happy for you!! Yay!! I am so glad you are getting the opportunity to meet Randy. Congrats my friend :)
Take care
Forever and ever a # 1 RT Fan
Jasmin
bixby503. It will be a lasting memory believe me. I've had that pleasure and it is one of my fondest memories.
Countrybug ( Dee)
congrats and enjoy as i know you will.
God Bless.
Always and Forever...an RT Fan
Linda and guide, Greg
Congrats to you bixby503!! You will see how easy he is to talk with. He loves to meet and talk with everyone about anything. Enjoy and take pics. cowwoman60 Denise