"Country star Randy Travis sings only songs he loves" - Stockton, CA Show Article
For anyone going to the show in Stockton tonight here is a great article with some more details about Randy's show:
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Country star Randy Travis sings only songs he loves
By The Record
June 12, 2008 6:00 AM
Randy Travis follows a simple rule when he's choosing songs.
"If you don't love it, don't do it," said the veteran country music singer.
It's been a fairly faithful strategy for 22 years.
"That's still what it kind of boils down to," said Travis, who opens the five-day San Joaquin County Fair when he plays the main stage on Wednesday. "If I don't absolutely love it, I don't record it."
It's been awhile since the 49-year-old native of Nashville, N.C., has done that with secular songs.
After recording a series of popular gospel albums between 2003-07, "Around the Bend," his first country album in eight years, will be released July 15.
"There are so many songs on here that I feel good about, which is a wonderful thing," Travis said.
Ever since "Storms of Life," his acclaimed 1986 debut Travis - and his followers - have had that feeling a lot.
Known for his buttery bass voice and mostly traditional sound, he's recorded 22 No. 1 country singles and sold 21 million albums. He's won six Grammys and 19 country music awards.
Matching that success remains a challenge.
"Finding those songs doesn't get any easier," Travis said. "As for my singing, I've always had the freedom to do little phrasing things.
"It's just that as the years go by, I tend to - for whatever reason - experiment more with melodic things ... and change phrasing here and there. I have a great time doing that."
This time, he tries out a bit of fiddle-flecked blues ("Around the Bend"), puts a jazzy, jumping, Texas swing spin on Bob Dylan's "Don't Think Twice It's All Right" (fiddle, steel, slide guitar and all), and jaunts through some classic country wordplay on "Everything That I Own (Has a Dent in It)."
Not being too old-fashioned, the album's first single and video ("Faith in You," a pure country ballad) are already available on iTunes.
Travis started out as a country traditionalist in the George Jones, Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson mode and evolved into a more spiritual vein. He's returning to those roots after branching out very successfully into gospel music.
"Rise and Shine," a 2003 album, won Grammy and Gospel Music Association awards. "Three Wooden Crosses" was chosen as song of the year by the Academy of Country Music in 2004. His "Worship & Faith" album repeated that in 2005 as did "Passing Through" in 2006 and "Glory Train" in 2007.
Initially, Travis said, "I felt so out of place you wouldn't believe it. I felt like, 'I'll be happy when this is over.' It sounds bad saying that, because it really is a huge honor. But I did feel out of place as a country guy being there.
"You get some amazing comments from people about some of the gospel songs. With my country records, it has been the same. 'Forever and Ever, Amen' (from 1987) has been used in no telling how many weddings."
It helps when you choose songs that you love.
CONCERT PREVIEW
Randy Travis
When: 8 p.m. Wednesday
Where: San Joaquin County Fairgrounds main stage, Airport and Charter ways, Stockton
Admission: free with fair admission
Information: (209) 466-5041, www.sanjoaquinfair.com
Feb. 8th God gave me a song. I have never written a song before. As soon as I sang it, I thought of Randy Travis. It is his style of Gospel Country music. Everyone that I have sung it to, thinks it is awesome. Many have cried. If Randy is looking for a good song, please have him call me on my cell phone # 417-293-0971. My name is Dwain Wood. I'm a 48 year old roofing contractor in West Plains, Mo. If anyone else would like to hear it, call me. God Bless!
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Randy Travis returns to his country roots
By Tony Sauro
Record Staff Writer
June 19, 2008 6:00 AM
Randy Travis said it was worth the wait.
No one disagreed.
REVIEW
Who: Randy Travis
When: Wednesday night
Where: San Joaquin Coounty Fair, Stockton
Just three songs into his 90-minute show at the San Joaquin County Fair Wednesday night, Travis - the veteran country singer with the deeply burnished voice - asked how many folks had never been to one of his concerts before.
The vast majority of those in a near-capacity crowd at the fair's 5,000-seat main stage raised their hands.
"Hmmmm," Travis rumbled in his big bass voice. "We've only toured for 23 years. I guess it's easy to see how you missed us."
They obviously didn't overlook his records, responding warmly and often singing along during a generous 25-song set packed with many of the 36 top-40 hits he's produced since 1986.
Backed by a slick-sounding seven-piece band of veteran Nashville cats, the 49-year-old from Marshville, N.C., was relaxed, friendly and funny, lacing the 2008 fair's opening-night show with corn-pone stories and wry parables.
"That was worth waiting for 23 years for," Travis said after one particularly enthusiastic response.
His richly burnished voice - with its slightly nasal twang - is one of modern country's most resonant. He could sing the phone book and it would sound pretty darn good.
Looking trim and natty in a gray sport coat, black jeans and white T-shirt, Travis accompanied himself for most of the show on an acoustic guitar.
He abandoned it during his two-song encore, though, demonstrating his appreciation and multi-tasking skills.
As he signed hats, caps, T-shirts and other paraphernalia with one hand, he held the microphone in the other, kneeling at the edge of the stage while singing "Is It Still We?" and his signature "Hard Rock Bottom of Your Heart" (No. 1 in 1989).
Travis, a country traditionalist who has spent the past eight years recording gospel music, is returning to his roots.
He sang one new tune (the pretty "Dig Two Graves") from his first country album in eight years. A painted big rig - parked strategically and very visibly to the right of the stage - advertised "Around the Bend," which will be released on July 15.
Travis has had so many No. 1 country singles (17) that he bunches them into medleys. He also did that with four of the gospel - but not churchy-sounding - songs he popularized, including the touching "Three Wooden Crosses," gospel song of the year in 2002.
A mixture of pretty, fiddle-flecked ballads and easy-loping twangers, he included such readily reognized favorites as "This Is Me," "Look Heart, No Hands," "Whisper My Name," "Deeper Than the Holler," "On the Other Hand" (a classic country weeper) and "Forever and Ever, Amen."
Travis, also an accomplished actor, saved special spots for "Heroes and Friends" (inspired by singing cowboy and movie star Roy Rogers) and "He Walked on Water," a tender ode to the wisdom of a 90-year-old grandfather.
He revealed his roots during a finger-popping singalong to Roger Miller's 43-year-old "King of the Road" and a smoothly soulful version of Brook Benton's 49-year-old "It's Just a Matter of Time."
Travis has faded from contemporary country consciousness during his eight years in gospel music.
He demonstrated Wednesday, though, that he has the quality, quantity, country music credibility - and the distinctive voice - to overcome such an absence.
After 23 years, the San Joaquin County folks who finally got to see him perform Wednesday night weren't disputing that.