Randy Travis, Wife Mary Open Up About His Stroke Recovery Progress
Since his stroke in 2013, Randy Travis has continued, slowly, but surely, to recover and regain some of his abilities. The country icon has certainly come further than his doctors expected (according to his wife Mary, they did not even expect him to survive) -- but, in a new interview, the singer says that he's still not happy with his recovery so far.
In an in-depth interview with Travis and his wife, Nashville's Tennessean asked the artist if he is happy, to which Travis responded, "Well … no;” after a long pause, he added, "Damaged."
Travis, the Tennessean reports, is still working to regain conversation skills, but he has re-learned to sing, at least a little bit; fans have gotten to see him do so recently, at a private funeral in early February of 2016 and his Country Music Hall of Fame induction in mid-October of 2016. Travis remembers his song's lyrics and, with his left hand, can form chords on his guitar, though he's still regaining the use of his right arm.
“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,” Travis' wife says. “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.”
Randy Travis Through the Years
On Wednesday night (Feb. 8), a superstar lineup of artists -- Garth Brooks, Chris Young, Travis Tritt, Scotty McCreery, Joe Nichols, Alabama, Kenny Rogers, Rodney Atkins, Chris Janson, Jamey Johnson, Montgomery Gentry, Michael Ray, Ricky Skaggs, Tanya Tucker, Wynonna Judd, Alison Krauss and many more -- will come together at Nashville's Bridgestone Auditorium for the 1 Night. 1 Place. 1 Time: A Heroes and Friends Tribute to Randy Travis concert. Press releases about the event have reported that Travis will sing during the show, though he tells the Tennessean he's not so sure about that.
Of her husband's recovery, Mary adds that their goal "is to remain hopeful and keep our heads up high and not throw in the towel and be happy with wherever God has us."
"If it’s back up on that stage singing," she adds, "hallelujah.”
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