It\u2019s been a long time coming and has been rumored for many years now. But we\u2019re finally hearing the first of archived music from country music legend Randy Travis, recorded before he suffered his stroke in 2013 and lost his ability to sing. <\/p>
Ever since his devastating stroke, there\u2019s been efforts to make sure Randy\u2019s music and legacy don\u2019t go forgotten, even if his Hall of Fame voice is no longer able to grace audiences. He was one of the very first artists to test out using AI<\/a><\/strong>\u2014an experiment it appears they decided to move on from, at least for now. <\/p> But as we\u2019ve seen with so many artists lately including Waylon Jennings, Gary Stewart, and Don Williams, singers always leave an archive of recorded songs behind them, often left over from recording sessions for albums that didn\u2019t make it on the track list for one reason or another. Now it\u2019s Randy\u2019s turn to delve into the archive, and see if any gold can be found. <\/p> On July 8th, word came down that Randy was prepping the release of his first album in 18 years with long-time producer Kyle Lehning, compiling \u201clost\u201d songs and making them release ready. On Tuesday, July 7th, Travis gave a preview of the currently unnamed project to patients and their families at the St. Jude Children\u2019s Research Hospital in Memphis. No release date has been announced, but it was revealed at the time that the first song from the project called \u201cFish On<\/a>\u201d would be forthcoming on Friday (7-10). <\/p> \u201cI wrote this song with my longtime bus driver and dear friend Ron Avis, and it\u2019s incredibly special to me that it\u2019s been found in the archives,\u201d<\/em> Travis said with help from his wife Mary.<\/p> \u201cHaving my longtime producer, Kyle Lehning, do what he does best has made bringing it back to life even more meaningful. I\u2019ve always loved fishing and country music, and being able to share this song so many years later means a great deal to me. There\u2019s just no getting over the joy of sharing music with the people who\u2019ve supported me through the years. It\u2019s been an honor to share the love of country music with listeners of all ages for so many decades, and I feel truly blessed.\u201d<\/em><\/p> \u201cFish On\u201d is a feel good, good time ditty for the summer. It probably won\u2019t compete for anyone\u2019s Song of the Year, but it is good to finally hear an archived song from Randy Travis after years of hints and promises that unheard material was on the way. Now we wait for final confirmation of a title, track list, and release date for the archive album, and what hopefully will be another important chapter in the Randy Travis story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n