The name Randy Travis has been synonymous with country music for decades, but his legendary voice went silent after a massive stroke.

Travis suffered an almost fatal stroke more than a decade ago that robbed him of his ability to move for a while, along with his ability to sing. For years people wondered if they would ever hear Travis again, but 12 years later the country legend’s voice can be heard once again, albeit with a little bit of help.

Here’s everything to know about Travis, his career and the stroke that changed it all.

What is Randy Travis’ medical condition?

In 2013, Travis went to a hospital in Dallas, Texas, suffering from viral cardiomyopathy. He later suffered a debilitating stroke that was a complication of congestive heart failure from the cardiomyopathy.

The stroke affected the left side of Travis’ brain, leaving him on life support and near death. Movement on the right side of his body was affected by the damage to the left side of his brain.

He was left wheelchair-bound and developed aphasia during recovery, a condition that affects one’s ability to communicate.

After the stroke, it was doubtful the singer and songwriter would be able to sing or even speak again. But after 12 years, he has regained some of what he has lost but still has some trouble speaking and singing to this day.

He relies on his wife to help communicate during interviews and the use of AI and guest vocals to help him sing. Travis can be seen without his wheelchair at times but still needs it for mobility.

Watch: Carrie Underwood pays tribute to Randy Travis at Opry 100

Underwood held a special moment for Travis during the Grand Ole Opry’s 100th anniversary celebration on March 19. The moment didn’t leave a dry eye in the house as she performed her two favorite Travis songs, “Three Wooden Crosses “ and “Forever and Ever Amen.”

The two well-known country stars have a long history together, dating back to Underwood’s American Idol days when she and Travis sang together for the first time. Over the years, the two shared the stage and Travis was the one to invite Underwood to join the Grand Ole Opry in 2008.

Randy Travis’ career spans decades. Now he’s going on tour

Travis made a name for himself in the 1980s as a country and gospel music singer and songwriter. It was his landmark 1986 LP “Storms of Life,” that helped to usher in a new era of country music, according to Travis’s bio on his website. He was 27 years old.

That album has sold more than three million copies and has been nominated for the Grammy Hall of Fame.

From there, Travis helped usher in the 90s era of country music that gave us stars like Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, Toby Keith, Blake Shelton and so many more.

He continued to produce hits over the next three decades with 16 No. 1 songs and his traditional country baritone rang on hits including “Forever and Ever, Amen,” “Deeper than a Holler” and “On the Other Hand,” until his stroke at the age of 54.

His near-death experience robbed him of many things, but slowly he worked his way back up to singing once again starting just a few years after the medical event that could have killed him.

Three years and three months after his stroke, Travis walked on stage to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. He stood throughout his induction and sang “Amazing Grace,” according to an article from The Tennessean at the time.

During the interview, Travis was asked if he was happy.

“Well … no,” he admitted, before a long pause. “Damaged.”

Less than 10 years after that interview, Travis is ready to tour again.

Who is Randy Travis married to?

Travis married Mary Davis two years after his stroke in 2015.

The two had been longtime friends and Davis was a crucial part of his recovery over the years and continues to help the singer communicate.

Where is Randy Travis from?

Travis is a North Carolina native.

Born Randy Bruce Traywick in 1959, he was raised in small Marshville, N.C. and was one of six children born to Harold and Bobby Traywick, according to Biography.com.

Audrey Gibbs and Marcus K. Dowling contributed to this story.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Randy Travis: What to know about Three Wooden Crosses singer’s health