Randy Travis Steals Star-Studded CMA Awards Opening Medley With a Single Word
The 50th anniversary of the Country Music Association Awards, held Wednesday in Nashville, fulfilled fans’ expectations in the first five minutes by offering up a powerhouse medley of classic artists delivering half a century’s worth of country super-hits. While stars such as Alan Jackson, Dwight Yoakam, Charley Pride, Charlie Daniels, Reba McEntire, and more drew raucous cheers from the audience, it was the appearance of the Country Music Hall of Fame’s most recent inductee, Randy Travis, who brought the crowd to mesmerized attention.
Travis, who infamously weathered a debilitating stroke in 2013 following a long period of personal and professional controversies, has been unable to speak, sing, or walk without assistance for three years. Since 2014, he has been re-learning skills, including taking up his musical ambitions again.
Travis’s most recent performance, a simple but powerful version of “Amazing Grace” delivered Oct. 16 to commemorate his induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, drew stunned tears from the audience and gave hope that the singer was on his way to full recovery.
However, on the CMAs stage, Travis was given only the final “amen” of his 1987 hit “Forever and Ever, Amen.” Even this small task seemed a bit much for Travis, who stood on his own and smiled brightly, but vocally faltered on the single word.
Still, the moment visibly touched the crowd, including fellow stars such as Miranda Lambert, who was caught on camera wiping her eyes. Travis, flanked by hosts Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley, continued to smile as he was crowned with a cowboy hat and a rolling thunder of applause.
The bittersweet end to the medley proved an ironically electric introduction to the CMA Awards, which swung into full star power mode with a comedic monologue from Underwood and Paisley honoring the genre’s decades of musical brilliance.
The 50th annual CMA Awards were held Nov. 2 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.
