Photo: Hunter BerryThirty years ago this month Randy Travis released his groundbreaking debut album, Storms of Life, and he went on to have a major impact on country music as a leader of the new traditionalist movement. On June 22 in Nashville, Travis was honored for those accomplishments with the Career Achievement Award, given annually by the industry organization Country Radio Broadcasters, Inc., during its annual Country Radio Hall of Fame dinner.
Fellow country star Josh Turner (pictured on the right) was on hand to pay tribute with a medley of Travis’ songs, including “Hard Rock Bottom of Your Heart,” “Three Wooden Crosses,” “Digging Up Bones,” “A Man Ain’t Made of Stone” and “Forever and Ever, Amen.”
Before his performance, Turner said, “I’m just honored and flattered to have been asked to … honor my hero. … One of the best things I feel like anybody can have in life is a hero, because a hero makes you want to be a better version of yourself, and they inspire you to do great things. That’s exactly what Randy Travis has done for me throughout the years.”
Travis is still recovering from a 2013 stroke that took his voice so his wife, Mary, spoke on his behalf calling her husband a “fighter” and a “warrior.”
“Randy’s story is one of redemption, and his songs were always delivered with such patience and experience,” she said. “He lived the songs that he sang. … He left us a beautiful body of work that will live on forever and ever. His songs were rehearsed in the Saturday morning honky-tonks and replayed in the Sunday morning services.”
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