[ourplace] Re: Randy Travis: I'm 'damaged' following near-fatal stroke and Garth Brooks, Chris Young, more sing for Randy Travis

From: "Devon Wilkins" <theharness@xxxxxxxx>
To: <ourplace@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sun, 12 Feb 2017 20:11:09 -0500

Well, I guess I must be a softy, too, Vickie.  Thanks very much for sharing
these with us.  I love Three Wooden Crosses.  That would have quite the
tribute to see.  Devon.

From: ourplace-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:ourplace-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Vickie
Sent: February-12-17 6:33 PM
To: Our Place List <ourplace@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [ourplace] Randy Travis: I'm 'damaged' following near-fatal stroke
and Garth Brooks, Chris Young, more sing for Randy Travis

Boy these are a couple of great articles. Brought me to tears at one point.
However, I'm a softy anyway.

Vickie

Randy Travis: I'm 'damaged' following near-fatal stroke Cindy Watts, The
Tennessean

Randy Travis was so near death after his 2013'stroke that he flatlined three
times and doctors advised "removing him from life-support," the country
music legend and his wife revealed to The Tenessean in their most in-depth
interview since the incident.

Three years and three months later, Travis returned to the spotlight for his
induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame . He stood throughout his
induction and then stunned the room, singing "Amazing Grace."

"The road back has been grueling," Travis said during a wide-ranging
90-minute conversation at the couple's upscale Nashville condo.

Travis' speech is halting, and he maneuvers around the residence in a
wheelchair. Asked whether he is happy, the singer paused for several
seconds. "Well -- no," he said, before another long pause. "Damaged."

But his wife, Mary, who defied doctor's advice and fought to keep her
husband alive, predicts he'll sing again on Wednesday night during an
all-star tribute to the seven-time Grammy winner at Bridgestone Arena. Garth
Brooks, Chris Young and Jamey Johnson are among the 30 artists who will pay
tribute to Travis.

Although Travis is still working to regain his conversation skills, he can
sing -- at least a few songs.

"There is a perfectionist in him that knows he's not singing exactly like he
used to that keeps him from enjoying it like I wish he would," she said. "I
know the world,'when they hear him, they can tell it's Randy Travis, and the
more he does it, the better it's going to get."

Travis changed the course of country music in 1986 with the release of his
multiplatinum-selling "Storms of Life".  In the next three decades, he
charted 16 No. 1 songs and his traditional country baritone rang through
hits including "Forever and Ever, Amen," "Deeper than a Holler" and "On the
Other Hand."

"I can't find another artist in any format in the history of music that
turned a format 180 degrees right back into
itself, a mirror of what it was, and made it bigger than it was before,"
said Brooks, who has counted Travis among his biggest influences.

Added Brad Paisley, "Randy showed up on the scene with a voice that was both
retro and fresh, songs that were brilliant and charisma that could never be
duplicated."

Lightly stroking her husband's hand with her thumb, Mary Travis recounted,
for the first time publicly, the first days after the stroke, describing
them as "hitting a brick wall at 100 miles per hour."

Travis went to the emergency room near their Texas ranch on July 5, 2013,
complaining of congestion. His lungs were full of fluid, so he was
transferred to a larger hospital, where he lost consciousness for the first
time. It was not until he came out of a coma days later that doctors
realized he had suffered a stroke.

Mary tearfully recalled being told that life-saving surgery would be
required. And even with an operation, Travis had only a 1 to 2% chance of
survival.

"At this point, the 1 to 2% chance is 100% chance over zero," Mary says. "I
prayed hard, "God, please let me have him back, any way, shape or form."

The surgery was successful and, following more than two years of rehab,
Travis can now walk, shower unassisted
and get himself dressed. He remembers all of his song lyrics and can use his
left hand to run the chords on his guitar neck. He's still regaining use of
his right arm and leg.  He says it feels "good" to sing again.

Asked where he wants to be in his recovery five years from now, Travis
smiled and shrugged his shoulders.

"I think our goal for five years is to remain hopeful and keep our heads up
high and not throw in the towel and be happy with wherever God has us," Mary
said. "If it's back up on that stage singing, hallelujah."

*****

Garth Brooks, Chris Young, more sing for Randy Travis Cindy Watts, The
Tennessean

NASHVILLE --  Randy Travis was lauded with the music that made him famous
Wednesday night during an all-star tribute to the Country Music Hall of
Famer at Bridgestone Arena.

Mayor Megan Berry kicked off the evening by declaring Feb. 8, 2017, Randy
Travis Day.

Over the course of the show, Travis' band backed the more than 30-artist
lineup that included Garth Brooks, Chris Young,
Josh Turner, Scotty McCreery, Alison Krauss, Jamey Johnson, Chris Janson,
Kenny Rogers, Michael Ray, William Michael Morgan and Alabama. With a few
exceptions -- including Rogers, who sang "Love Lifted Me," and "The
Gambler," -- and Alabama, which was joined by a choir for "Angels Among Us"
-- everyone sang Travis' hits.

"What doesn't he mean to country music, especially to someone who grew up as
a baritone singer in country music?" asked Young, who performed "This is Me.
"I would just constantly sing his stuff. He means a whole lot to a lot of
singers, not just me."

Travis' wife, Mary, believes his songs saved his life.

In 2013 Travis had a stroke that paralyzed the right side of his body and
left him unable to speak or walk. During a five-and-a-half-month
hospitalization, a series of infections nearly killed him.  Travis can now
walk and is relearning how to speak.

"I wondered if those songs were running through his head," she said. "Is he
having that talk with Jesus? Does he know that I'm going to love him forever
and ever, amen? I think his relationship with songs and music is what got
him through this, and I can only imagine, once he starts talking to us
again, what kind of songs that he's going to give us."

Kane Brown performs during the Randy Travis tribute concert Wednesday, Feb.
8, 2017, at Bridgestone Arena (Photo: Alan Poizner / For The Tennessean)

During the show, Travis' longtime label, Warner Music Nashville, surprised
the singer with a career achievement award "in recognition of more than 25
million albums sold, 22 No. 1 hits and six No. 1 albums, worldwide."

The Travises watched from their seats on the stage as Janson brought the
house down with "Look Heart No Hands."  Johnson delivered an emotional
version of "Promises" -- with backup from Krauss. Kane Brown got fans
tapping their toes to a traditional cover of Travis' cover of Roger Miller's
"King of the Road."

Morgan, who before the show said meeting Travis would be a dream come true,
sang "Hard Rock Bottom of Your Heart" then gave the singer a hug at the end
of his song.

Joe Nichols covered Travis' "Storms of Life."

Ray sang "He Walked on Water."

Turner delivered "Three Wooden Crosses." McCreery got "1982," and Brooks had
Travis' signature hit "Forever and Ever, Amen."

The show closed with an all-sing on "Amazing Grace."

A portion of proceeds from the evening go to benefit'the Randy Travis
Foundation, a non-profit that provides support for victims of strokes and
cardiovascular diseases as well as arts and entertainment education for
at-risk children.

Mary Travis said she wants to focus on supporting early detection of stroke
and viral cardiomyopathy in hopes that an early diagnosis would prevent
others from the suffering her husband has endured. "Try it all, that's been
our theory with Randy," she said of different treatments. "If it's not going
to hurt him, let's give it a shot. My prayer and if I ever had a message for
family members (of stroke victims), it's don't ever give up."

References:
- [ourplace] Randy Travis: I'm 'damaged' following near-fatal stroke and Garth Brooks, Chris Young, more sing for Randy Travis
  - From: Vickie

[ourplace] Re: Randy Travis: I'm 'damaged' following near-fatal stroke and Garth Brooks, Chris Young, more sing for Randy Travis

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