Randy Travis has come a long way since he suffered a stroke over 13 years ago. And now, the "Forever and Ever, Amen" singer has an album of new material, his first in over 18 years.
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Randy Travis Has a New Album
As PEOPLE reports, Same Old Way, Randy's new album, was released today, Nov. 13. It consists of a dozen songs from the singer's vaults. Kyle Lehning, Randy's producer for four decades, helped bring the songs to life.
"We never would've dreamed it 13-and-a-half years ago that we would be sitting here talking to you about a new album that's getting ready to release and what a blessing that is," says Mary Travis, Randy's wife.
Mary worked with Lehning on the album, revisiting some of her husband's material and rediscovering long-forgotten tracks.
"Maybe just hearing his vocal and his voice again, the real Randy, that was warm and cozy. That was familiar," she explained. "But then to hear the songs, some of them I'd never even heard... It felt new again."
The New Album Represents How Far Randy Has Come
Last year, Mary shared in an interview that after Randy suffered his stroke in 2012, doctors told her to "pull the plug." But she believed that the singer was still fighting, so she told the doctors they were "going to fight with him."
"And I knew at that point in time, because he had every odd in the world against him, and he wasn't giving up," said Mary. "And I was so encouraged by that, to be honest. He was my inspiration."
The stroke damaged the part of Randy's brain controlling speech and language. This condition, called aphasia, affects his ability to speak and sing.
This month will also see the finale of Randy's "More Life" tour, which offers a glimpse into his career and life since his stroke.
"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," Mary explained last year. 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."
