Against All Odds, Randy Travis Sings With Tim McGraw in Surprise Performance (VIDEO)
In September 2013, country music legend Randy Travis suffered a debilitating stroke that left him on life support with little hope from his doctors. Caused by viral cardiomyopathy (a virus-induced disease of the heart muscle), the stroke required doctors to relieve swelling around his brain, but his prognosis remained grim due to several other illnesses.
According to Travis’s wife, Mary, medical professionals even suggested to “pull the plug,” which she rejected.
“It was that magical moment that I went to his bedside when they said, ‘We need to pull the plug. He’s got too many things going against him at this point.’ He had gotten a staph infection and three other hospital-borne bacterial viruses like Serratia and Pseudomonas — one thing after another — and the doctors were just saying, ‘He just doesn’t have the strength to get through this,'” Mary recalled.
Despite the odds, the singer survived, but the stroke left him with aphasia, which has impacted his ability to speak and, of course, to sing.
Now, a dozen years since his stroke, the country crooner is able to croon once more. On September 13, Travis shared a video of himself backstage with friend and fellow country singer Tim McGraw as the two of them sang Travis’ classic song, “On the Other Hand.”
With them was country artist Timothy Wayne, nephew of McGraw and a rising star in his own right. The trio sang together in the heartfelt post.
Travis captioned the post: “A moment we’ll never forget…@TheTimMcGraw is one of the best out there! And how about his nephew @TimothyWayne?! Y’all go check him out.” The text on the video read: “Tim McGraw sang ‘On the Other Hand’ backstage with Randy! One of our favorite memories that we’ll never forget!”
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The clip shows McGraw encouraging Travis, who manages to join in for a few verses despite his limited range. The impromptu backstage trio touched the hearts of fans, who flooded the comments with words of encouragement, gratitude, and admiration for the emotional moment.
“Living in a world that’s giving us so many reasons not to smile these days, this is so appreciated!!!! Thank you for a lifetime of smiles you continue to give us. Beautiful voices,” wrote one fan.
“This just made my heart smile,” wrote another.
Travis is currently promoting his More Life Tour featuring guest vocalist James Dupre, who handles singing Travis’ classic hits, while the artist appears on stage, interacting with fans and the band.
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