Randy Travis is one of the most decorated artists in country music right now. Countless ACMs, GMA Dove Awards, Grammys, and more prove that Travis’ music is something the country community feels a strong connection to.
Among Travis’ many awards include six CMA Awards, the first of which was the Horizon Award (now known as the New Artist Award) in 1986. The win came hot off the heels of Travis’ first number one hit, “On the Other Hand.”
A lot has changed in the 30 years since Travis won his first CMA. He’s gone on to achieve recognition as one of the greatest country artists of all time, with 22 number one hits, six number one albums, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. But Travis’ career came to a sudden halt in 2013 when he suffered a massive stroke.
Travis managed to pull through, and with the help of therapy has been able to make a gradual recovery. In recent months, he’s been making more public appearances, often showing up on stage along with his fellow country singers such as Blake Shelton and Charlie Daniels. Although he can walk short distances, he still is unable to speak or sing.
But Travis didn’t need to put his feelings into words when he sat down with his wife, Mary, to watch footage from his first CMA win. As part of their 50/50 series in honor of the CMAs 50th anniversary this year, the Country Music Association showed Travis, Dierks Bentley, and Darius Rucker clips from when they won their first CMA Awards.
Watching himself receive the award that really started it all for him was an exciting thing for Travis to see. While Mary translated his feelings into words, Travis’ beaming smile at the memory of the moment spoke entirely for itself.
You can watch the touching moment in the clip below. Just as a warning, you may want to keep the tissues close, because it’s a tearjerker.
It makes us so happy to see Travis’ smile, and we’re continuing to keep him in our prayers.