“His Heart Is Still Gold”: Randy Travis’ Wife Reflects on the Country Legend’s Remarkable Journey

A lot has changed for Randy Travis since he released his debut album, Storms of Life, in 1986. Since that moment, he has charted more than 50 songs, won numerous Grammys, and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. And outside of the spotlight, he continued to showcase his love for his wife, Mary Davis. But the years didn’t come without a few setbacks. Sadly, after suffering a stroke in 2013, Travis was left with limited mobility. Still, with Travis not able to perform as he did in the past, Davis promised that his heart was still “Gold.” 

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Celebrating the 40th anniversary of Storms of Life, the Nashville Palace presented Travis with a room dedicated to the album. Able to take a trip down memory lane, Davis took a moment to reflect on the man Travis was and the man he has become. “His heart is still gold, just like it was back then.” 

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Although the stroke hindered his ability to walk, talk, and perform, Davis insisted that the illness never dimmed his spirit. “He’s still that same humble, honest, funny, just kind of a boot-shuffling kind of kid.” She added, “Forty years ago he wasn’t a legend. Today he’s a legend. That album was part of the reason. I mean, that kick-started the beginning of his legendary career.”

[RELATED: Randy Travis Has a Collection of Unreleased Songs “Mastered, Mixed & Ready To Go”] 

The Years Change But Randy Travis Remains The Same

Hitting the airwaves on June 2, 1986, Storms of Life brought Travis center stage in country music. Including songs like “On the Other Hand,” “Diggin Up Bones,” and “1982,” the album quickly peaked at No. 1 on the US Top Country Albums chart. 

Thanks to the album, Travis not only dominated the charts but also won Top New Male Vocalist at the Academy of Country Music Awards that same year. But according to Davis, Travis saw the accolades as a token. “The awards and the accolades, those are blood, sweat and tears. It’s the time that I put in. It’s the people that were there for me. It was the family of people on the road with me and the fans.”  

While Travis isn’t finished leaving his mark on country music just yet, Davis noted that it was never about the fame but about the legacy he built along the way. And no matter what the years bring, she concluded, “that’s the heart of Randy Travis.”

(Photo by Omar Vega/WireImage)