Randy Travis recently shared a truly special moment from his most recent tour on Instagram.
Videos by Wide Open Country
As the "Forever and Ever, Amen" singer is being pushed onto the stage in a wheelchair, he is greeted by a standing ovation.
"It's the fans who make these appearances and shows so special, and the reason I keep doing it," the 66-year-old Travis wrote. "I'll be in Kentucky, Indiana, and Missouri next."
This moment carries even more weight when you consider everything that Travis has endured since suffering a stroke in 2013.
How Is Randy Travis Able to Tour?
Travis connects with fans in a show that highlights his career. His stroke damaged the part of his brain controlling speech and language, resulting in a condition called aphasia, which affects his ability to speak and sing. Still, Randy continues making music using artificial intelligence.
"Randy and I are both on stage. I give a little bit of background as far as the music, the musicians, Randy, the stroke, a song, the AI, of course," explained the singer's wife, Mary, last year.
"And then we show videos of Randy's historical past, as far as some of his joke-telling, which allows people to see the humor that Randy has," she continued. "And all the way back to his childhood and working with horses in some of the Westerns that he was in, the funny things along the way.
"So it gives you a whole, like I said, biographical sketch of Randy Travis. And then James Dupre is singing all of the songs, and it's just kind of a magical night, really."
Doctors Told Travis' Wife She Should "Pull the Plug"
The fact that Travis is still on stage is also a bit of a miracle in itself. Doctors told Mary that she should "pull the plug" on the singer after he suffered from his stroke.
"That's when I went to him," she said. "That was the moment that I knew that Randy Travis was gonna make it because he squeezed my hand, and a tear went down his face. And I said, 'He's still fighting.'"
She then told the doctors that they were "going to fight with him."
Mary added, "And I meant that, and Randy meant it. And I knew at that point in time, because he had every odd in the world against him, and he wasn't giving up. And I was so encouraged by that, to be honest. He was my inspiration."
