Randy Travis Biography

Fast Facts

• His album "Storms of Life," which featured the hit songs "On the Other Hand" and "1982," remained at number one on the charts and sold more than five million copies
• During his career he has won seven Academy of Country Music Awards, six Country Music Association Awards, and nine American Music Awards
• Won two Grammy Awards for Best Male Country Vocal Performance for "Always and Forever" in 1988 and "Old 8x10" in 1989
• Learned how to play the guitar at the age of 10 and was a fan of country artists like Hank Williams and Gene Autry
• During his turbulent adolescence, he met nightclub manager Elizabeth Hatcher, who offered to become his legal guardian to keep him out of prison after seeing promise in his music
• Had minor success on an independent label in North Carolina before moving to Nashville in 1981, working as a short-order cook for four years before being signed by Warner Bros․ Records
• Quote: "It's not what you take when you leave this world behind you․ It's what you leave behind you when you go․"
• Became a member of the Grand Ole Opry in 1986 and released his Grammy-winning album "Always and Forever" the following year
• Began focusing on his acting career in the 1990s, appearing in popular TV series like "Touched By an Angel" and "Frasier" and films like "The Rainmaker" and "The Million Dollar Kid․"
• Best known as a country music singer and songwriter whose hit songs include "Forever and Ever, Amen," "Three Wooden Crosses," and "On the Other Hand․"