Born on May 4, 1959, Randy Bruce Traywick was the second of six children. His father Harold, raised turkeys, bred horses, and ran a construction business, and his mother Bobbie, worked in a textile plant. Randy's father always wanted him to become a country singer, filling the house with the sounds of Hank Williams and Stonewall Jackson albums. Harold bought his four sons western outfits and guitars, and promoted them locally as the Traywick Brothers. By the time Randy was ten years old, he and his brother, Ricky, had their own duo, playing throughout the South at fiddler's conventions, private parties, VFW halls and anywhere and everywhere they could draw a crowd. Even at his young age Randy's voice startled people with its resonance. He dropped out of school in the ninth grade, and was arrested for various offenses including auto theft and burglary.

Harold Traywick entered Randy and Ricky in a talent contest at a nightclub called "Country City, USA" in Charlotte, North Carolina. Ricky, who also had brushes with the law, was sentenced to jail and Randy had to complete the contest solo, but won anyway. The club's manager, Elizabeth "Lib" Hatcher, took an interest in Travis and gave him a job singing at the club. It was a stint that lasted the better part of five years with Randy first performing on week-ends and eventually full-time. Hatcher took over management of the fledgling singer and in the late 70's Randy recorded two singles for Paula Records, "Dreamin'" and "She's My Woman" with Joe Stampley producing.

In 1981 Randy made the move to Nashville, commuting regularly to Charlotte to perform at Country City, USA. He spent most of his time writing songs and getting acquainted with the Nashville scene.Eventually Hatcher began management of another club, The Nashville Palace, where Randy worked cooking catfish and washing dishes, as well as singing on stage. It wasn't long before he had developed a following there as well, changing his stage name to Randy Ray. The exposure lead to appearances on Nashville Now and Nashville After Hours. His Nashville popularity grew by increasing word-of-mouth as people touted him as an outstanding newcomer. In 1983 while performing at the club, Randy recorded his first album independently and called it, "Randy Ray-Live at the Nashville Palace." The album was mostly sold at the club between shows and is now a collector's item and out of circulation.

Travis was soon turned down by every record label in town. His early demo tapes were criticized by Nashville record executives as being "too country." Randy was finally signed to Warner Brothers Records in 1985. Record company executives changed his name to Travis, and Randy's first recorded effort for his new label was "Prairie Rose," on the soundtrack to the film, "Rustler's Rhapsody." It was followed by the release of the album, "Storms of Life" in 1986, and the rest is country music history. The first single, "On the Other Hand," was a perfect slice of Randy's authentic country talent. "1982" followed, and with that hit, Randy established himself as a singer and performer in the grand tradition of George Jones, Lefty Frizell, Merle Haggard and a handful of others. The success of both singles led to wide-spread demand for live shows, and Randy next set out on an extensive and ongoing tour, taking him across the United States and Canada before record-setting crowds.

Soon it seemed every award in the music business had Randy's name on it. A string of country chart-toppers ensued, and by the end of the decade, Randy's record sales topped 13 million copies. Travis and Hatcher married in 1991. That year Travis took part in Voices That Care, a multi-artist project that featured other top names in music for a one-off single to raise money for the allied troops in the Gulf War. The project included fellow country singers Garth Brooks, Kenny Rogers and Kathy Mattea. By 1992, Travis was no longer charting high, as Brooks, Clint Black, and others had taken over Nashville. He took a break from music to concentrate on acting and landed roles in several Western genre films. He returned to recording with 1994's This Is Me and the hit single "Whisper My Name."

In September, 1997, after twelve albums with Warner Brothers, Randy was the first artist to sign with the newly formed DreamWorks Records label in Nashville. When "Out of My Bones," the first single from the new label's debut album, "You and You Alone" was released in 1998, he delivered the label its first number one country hit. In 2001 Randy independently released a live-concert album, "Randy Travis Live," and a CD single, "America Will Always Stand".

Along with his full-time music career Randy has also become an accomplished actor. In addition to guest appearances on TV's Matlock, Touched By An Angel, and Texas, his film credits include The Rainmaker (starring Jon Voight, Matt Damon, and Danny DeVito), Frank and Jessie (Bill Paxton and Rob Lowe), Black Dog (Patrick Swayze), and Fire Down Below (Steven Seagal). He's also featured with Antonio Banderas, Ellen Barkin, Lily Tomlin, and Bob Hoskins in the movie White River Kid. Randy had a starring role in the Miramax/Dimension film Texas Rangers with James Van Der Beek, Dylan McDermott and Usher which was released in 2002. He also worked on Major Reno, a documentary featuring legendary film actor Charlton Heston, and the independent film, John-John In the Sky.

While Randy has long been known as an artist whose life-affirming songs celebrate the better angels of human nature, it's in his inspirational releases, that this underlying theme of contentment finally takes center stage.

These three inspirational albums have garnered several awards for Randy, and his longtime friend and producer, Kyle Lehning. In 2001 Randy's Atlantic Records/Warner Bros. album, "Inspirational Journey," won a Dove Award for "Bluegrass Album of the Year," and also a Dove Award for "Country Recorded Song of the Year" for the single, "Baptism". Songs from "Inspirational Journey" also inspired the two-part season finale of the CBS TV series, "Touched by an Angel," that also featured Randy playing a significant role as part of an all-star cast.

In 2003 Randy was awarded the Christian Country Music Association's "Mainstream Country Artist of the Year". That same year, his Word Records/Curb/Warner Bros. album, "Rise And Shine" was awarded a Dove Award for "Country Album of the Year," and the single, "Three Wooden Crosses," won the Christian Country Music Association's "Song of the Year" award. "Three Wooden Crosses" also won the 2003 CMA Award for "Song of the Year," and had the distinction of being the only song from a Christian label to ever make it to the number one position on the country charts.

In 2004 Randy's "Rise And Shine" album was honored again, with a Grammy for "Best Southern, Country, or Bluegrass, Gospel Album". His single, "Three Wooden Crosses" won the ACM's "Song of the Year" award, and a Dove Award, for "Country Recorded Song of the Year". Also in 2004, Randy's traditional hymns album, "Worship & Faith," won a Dove Award for "Country Album of the Year".

2005 is already turning out to be a great year for Randy. He's been awarded a Grammy for "Best Southern, Country, or Bluegrass, Gospel Album" for "Worship & Faith," and the album has also been nominated for a Dove Award for "Country Album of the Year". Randy's latest Word Records/Curb/Warner Bros. release, "Passing Through," is a collection of country and inspirational songs that speaks to listeners from all walks of life.

In the late 1980's, Randy opened the floodgates for the new traditionalist movement in country music. With 22 number one hits, 6 number one albums, 5 Grammy's, 6 CMA's, 9 ACM's, 10 AMA's, 5 Dove Awards, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of fame, Randy is the rare lucky man who has been able to make all of his dreams come true.

Discography

Storms of Life (Released on June 6, 1986)
Always and Forever (Released on April 4, 1987)
Old 8x10 (Released on July 12, 1988)
An Old Time Christmas (Released on August 29, 1989)
No Holdin' Back (Released on September 26, 1989)
Heroes and Friends (Released on September 11, 1990)
High Lonesome (Released on August 23, 1991)
Greatest Hits Album Volumes 1 & 2 (Released on September 15, 1992)
Wind in the Wire (Released on August 17, 1993)
This Is Me (Released on April 26, 1994)
Full Circle (Released on August 13, 1996)
You and You Alone (Released on April 21, 1998)
A Man Ain't Made of Stone (Released on September 21, 1999)
Inspirational Journey (Released in October 2000)
Randy Travis Live (Released in August 2001)
Anthology (Released on July 16, 2002)
Rise and Shine (Released on October 15, 2002)
Worship & Faith (Released on November 11, 2003)
Passing Through (Released on November 9, 2004)
Glory Train (Released on October 25, 2005)