On This Day in 2002, Randy Travis Released an Award-Winning No. 1 Single That Made Chart History and Has Inspired Countless Listeners

On this day (November 25) in 2002, Randy Travis released “Three Wooden Crosses” as the lead single from his album Rise and Shine. The song would later reach the top of the country chart and bring Travis multiple awards, and helped him make chart history. It has also inspired many listeners to make positive changes in the world.

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Travis saw consistent success on the country charts throughout the late 1980s and early ’90s. However, as the new millennium drew closer, his success began to waver. At the same time, he went through some personal changes. As a result, he left Dreamworks Nashville after the release of his 1999 album A Man Ain’t Made of Stone, and signed with Word, a Christian label. He released his first album of gospel music, Inspirational Journey, in 2000. Rise and Shine was his second full-length release on the label.

[RELATED: On This Day in 1987, Randy Travis Was in the Middle of a Monumental Run at No. 1 With the Biggest Album of His Career]

“Three Wooden Crosses” became a landmark song for Travis when it reached the top of the country chart in May 2003. It was his first No. 1 since his 1994 single “Whisper My Name.” Moreover, it became the first release from a Christian music label to reach the top of the country chart.

How Randy Travis’ Award-Winning Hit Became an Inspiration

“Three Wooden Crosses” brought Randy Travis multiple awards. It won Country Song of the Year at the 2004 GMA Dove Awards and Song of the Year at the 2003 ACM Awards. Additionally, it likely helped Rise and Shine win the Grammy Award for Best Southern, Country, or Bluegrass Gospel Album in 2003. However, it was more than a successful single. It was an inspiration.

Doug Johnson, who co-wrote “Three Wooden Crosses” with Kim Williams, spoke to the Nashville Songwriters Association International president Bart Herbison about the song and its impact.

“Back in 1982, a few days after a 17-year-old girl named Deborah Jablonski was killed by a drunk driver in West Tennessee, the mother of the teenager, Connie Outlaw, came to see me about forming the second chapter in Tennessee of an organization called Mothers Against Drunk Driving,” Herbison revealed.

Moreover, the song inspired MADD to expand its use of wooden crosses on the side of roads to memorialize those who were killed by drunk drivers.

“I’ve had more preachers and rabbis send notes saying, ‘I did a sermon on this song.’ It actually looks like there’s going to be a movie made based on the song,” Johnson said.

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