Randy Travis's 1986 breakthrough put him at the forefront of Nashville's new traditionalist sound and, in the words of Garth Brooks, saved country music. The singer's warm baritone and all-time classic songs like "Forever and Ever, Amen" landed him atop the charts sixteen times. His cross-genre appeal brought a level of multiplatinum success that no country artist before him had ever achieved.

Diane Diekman's biography follows the life and career of one of country music's most beloved figures. Steered from a troubled path as a teen, Travis served a long apprenticeship under manager and future wife Lib Hatcher before being rejected by the Nashville music industry as "too country." The single "On the Other Hand" and his smash debut album did away with the doubters and began a dominant four-year run that stretched into ongoing success as a recording artist, trailblazing live performer, and actor in film and television. Diekman uses dozens of interviews and in-depth research to fill in the details of Travis's pre-fame life and his enormous impact on country, popular, and gospel music. From there, she pivots to telling the story of the singer's difficult divorce from Hatcher, subsequent problems with alcohol and run-ins with the law, and the challenges he overcame in the aftermath of a devastating 2013 stroke.

Informed by a wealth of new research and interviews, Randy Travis is the first in-depth biography of the country music legend.

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"Bring your toothbrush."

"It's too country."

"There was no way I could have not signed Randy."

"Don't record 'em if you don't love 'em."

"By this third album, he was a superstar."

"It's a tough job."

"Do you think he's as cute in person?"

"If you see what's wrong and you try to make it right, you will be a point of light."

"It's so competitive now. And this scares me."

"He signed autographs until the place was empty."

"We are proud to call Santa Fe our new home."

"We were both wrong."

"I am wearing what God gave me, and I am proud of it."

"In fact, I was feelin' mighty fine."

"Lord, please give him back to me."

"I think you would be the perfect person to manage Randy Travis."

Epilogue

Appendix A. Album Discography

Appendix B. List of Awards

Appendix C. Members of the Randy Travis Band

Acknowledgments

Notes

Index

|"Who does not love Randy Travis? Randy has always been a favorite of mine. I love his records, his voice, and his tender heart. I've had the pleasure of working with Randy many times and I've always felt very close to him. I have always considered him a friend. I've watched Randy's career and life through the years . . . the ups, the downs, personal and professional. And I have watched him continue on with grace and goodness. His music will live on as some of the greatest of all time."—Dolly Parton
|Diane Diekman is the author of Twentieth Century Drifter: The Life of Marty Robbins, winner of the Belmont Country Music Book of the Year Award, and Live Fast, Love Hard: The Faron Young Story.