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I was born on May 4, 1959, I am the second of six children. My father Harold, raised turkeys, bred horses, and ran a construction business, and My mother Bobbie, worked in a textile plant. My father always wanted me to become a country singer, filling the house with the sounds of Hank Williams and Stonewall Jackson albums. My dad bought my three brothers and I western outfits and guitars, and promoted us locally as the Traywick Brothers. By the time I was ten years old, my brother Ricky and I had our own duo, playing throughout the South at fiddler's conventions, private parties, VFW halls and anywhere and everywhere we could draw a crowd. Even at my young age my voice startled people with its resonance. I dropped out of school in the ninth grade, and after that-fast cars, drinking and drugs lead to a series of scrapes with the law.At age 16, I entered a talent show hosted by Country City USA as a soloist. After winning the competition hands down, I was invited by the club owner, Lib Hatcher, to play regularly at the famed night spot. I then relocated to Charlotte. It was a stint that lasted the better part of five years with first performing on week-ends and eventually full-time. Hatcher took over management in the late 70's I recorded two singles for Paula Records, "Dreamin'" and "She's My Woman" with Joe Stampley producing.In 1981 I made the move to Nashville, commuting regularly to Charlotte to perform at Country City, USA. I would spent most of my time writing songs and getting acquainted with the Nashville scene.Eventually Hatcher began management of another club, The Nashville Palace, where I worked cooking catfish and washing dishes, as well as singing on stage. It wasn't long before I had developed a following there as well, changing my stage name to Randy Ray. The exposure lead to appearances on Nashville Now and Nashville After Hours. My Nashville popularity grew by increasing word-of-mouth as people touted hme as an outstanding newcomer. In 1983 while performing at the club, I recorded my 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.Turned down by nearly every record label in Nashville, often more than once, I was finally signed to Warner Brothers Records in 1985. Record company executives changed my name to Travis, and my first recorded effort for my 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, I established myself 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 I next set out on an extensive and ongoing tour, taking myself across the United States and Canada before record-setting crowds.Soon it seemed every award in the music business had my name on it. A string of country chart-toppers ensued, and by the end of the decade, my record sales topped 13 million copies. During a break from touring in 1991, I married my longtime manager and friend, Lib Hatcher in a quiet ceremony on the island of Maui, Hawaii.In September, 1997, after twelve albums with Warner Brothers, I 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 I independently released a live-concert album, "Randy Travis Live," and a CD single, "America Will Always Stand".Along with my full-time music career I have also become an accomplished actor. In addition to guest appearances on TV's Matlock, Touched By An Angel, and Texas, my 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). I've also featured with Antonio Banderas, Ellen Barkin, Lily Tomlin, and Bob Hoskins in the movie White River Kid. I 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. I also worked on Major Reno, a documentary featuring legendary film actor Charlton Heston, and the independent film, John-John In the Sky.While I have long been known as an artist whose life-affirming songs celebrate the better angels of human nature, it's in my inspirational releases, that this underlying theme of contentment finally takes center stage.These three inspirational albums have garnered several awards for Myself, and my longtime friend and producer, Kyle Lehning. In 2001 my 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 myself playing a significant role as part of an all-star cast.In 2003 I was awarded the Christian Country Music Association's "Mainstream Country Artist of the Year". That same year, my 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 my "Rise And Shine" album was honored again, with a Grammy for "Best Southern, Country, or Bluegrass, Gospel Album". the 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, my traditional hymns album, "Worship & Faith," won a Dove Award for "Country Album of the Year".In 2005 I was awarded a Grammy for "Best Southern, Country, or Bluegrass, Gospel Album" for my "Worship & Faith" album. In April 2006 I won a Dove Award for "Country Album of the Year" for my Word Records/Curb/Warner Bros. album of traditional hymns, "Glory Train". 2006 also finds myself back on the big screen, this time in a thriller, The Visitation, from 20th Century Fox. The film was directed by Robby Henson and is based on the New York Times-bestselling novel by Frank Peretti.In the late 1980's, I 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, 6 Dove Awards, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of fame, I am the rare lucky man who has been able to make all of my dreams come true.