Randy Travis at the 21st Annual Academy of Country Music Awards on April 14, 1986 in Buena Park, California ; Randy Travis attends the opening of American Currents: State of the Music on March 04, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee. Photo:

Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty ; John Shearer/Getty

Randy Travis’ deep, soulful voice is as iconic as his many chart-topping country hits. And even though a devastating stroke limited how much of that voice the Grammy-winning artist can use, he’s still finding ways to serenade his fans. 

In July 2013, the “Forever and Ever, Amen” singer suffered a stroke after being hospitalized for presumptive cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure. His wife, Mary Travis, later told PEOPLE in 2019 that the entire “speaking, writing and reading” section of his left brain was affected, a condition that’s known as aphasia. 

“I could understand what Mary said to me, but I could not respond in anything close to a sentence,” Randy wrote in his 2019 memoir Forever and Ever, Amen: A Memoir of Music, Faith and Braving the Storms of Life. “All this was extremely frustrating for me; I felt like I was trapped inside the shell of my body.”

Though he never officially retired from country music, Randy’s condition kept him from performing as he had to relearn basic skills, according to Mary. Slowly but surely, the country singer’s prognosis improved, and he has since been able to release music.

In addition to reviving his singing career, country artist Clay Walker announced during a 2025 concert special celebrating the Grand Ole Opry’s 100th birthday that he would portray Randy in an upcoming biopic set for theatrical release in 2026.  

So where is Randy Travis now? Here’s everything to know about the country star’s life and career after his stroke and aphasia diagnosis. 

Randy Travis onstage at the American Giving Awards on December 7, 2012 in Pasadena, California. Frederick M. Brown/Getty

On July 6, 2013, Randy went to the emergency room after he experienced trouble breathing and was diagnosed with walking pneumonia, per The Tennessean. The following morning, he told Mary that he couldn’t “breathe at all.” 

When the singer returned to the hospital, both of his lungs had filled with fluid, and he later flatlined. Doctors revived Randy and put him on life support with a diagnosis of a viral heart infection called cardiomyopathy. The couple later theorized that he had picked up the virus five weeks earlier while filming a movie in an old chemical and feed store in Louisiana. 

It wasn’t until Randy woke up from his coma two days later that his doctors realized he had also had a stroke. Life-saving surgery was required, and Mary was told that her husband’s chances of survival were slim. 

“At this point, the 1 to 2 percent chance is 100 percent chance over zero,” Mary told The Tennessean. “I prayed hard, ‘God, please let me have him back, any way, shape or form.’ ”

The surgery was a success, but Randy wasn’t out of the woods. He spent close to six more months in hospitals and had three tracheotomies, two brain surgeries and dealt with a litany of other infections and procedures.

It wasn’t until switching doctors and getting put on a more powerful antibiotic that he was finally able to go home in November 2013, just in time for Thanksgiving. 

Randy Travis attends the 2019 Country Music Hall of Fame Medallion Ceremony on October 20, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. Terry Wyatt/Getty

Randy was initially diagnosed with presumptive cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure.

Because of his stroke, the country star was later diagnosed with aphasia, a condition that significantly impacts a person’s speech. Mary told the Houston Aphasia Recover Center in 2021 that even though they were initially told Randy wouldn’t see much improvement in his ability to speak, he has continued to say “a new word or two words put together” every day. 

Even though it’s still hard for the singer to talk, he has regained some of his ability to sing. During his induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2016, Randy performed a verse of “Amazing Grace.” 

American Country singer Randy Travis. Beth Gwinn/Redferns

Though his career was put on pause following his stroke in 2013, Randy never retired from country music. Only a year after his stroke, he released Influence Vol. 2: The Man I Am, which was recorded in 2012, per Music Mayhem Magazine, and gave his first performance at the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2016. 

In 2019, Randy announced that he would return to touring, featuring guest vocalist James Dupré as the lead of his band. As of 2025, the singer has continued that tour and makes select appearances throughout the show.

Randy Travis and Mary Travis attend Opry 100: A Live Celebration at Grand Ole Opry on March 19, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee. Jason Kempin/Getty

Randy’s ability to walk and speak has greatly improved since his initial diagnosis in 2013, but he still uses a walker or a wheelchair to get around. Mary also assists him with speaking in interviews and at events.

In May 2024, he released his first single in over 10 years with the help of artificial intelligence. The song, “Where That Came From,” debuted at No. 45 on Billboard’s Country Airplay.

“I remember watching him when he first heard the song after it was completed. It was beautiful because at first, he was surprised, and then he was very pensive, and he was listening and studying,” Mary told the Associated Press of the making of the song. “And then he put his head down and his eyes were a little watery. I think he went through every emotion there was, in those three minutes of just hearing his voice again.”

Less than a year later, in March, Randy and Walker announced that a biopic of Randy’s life was in the works, titled Forever and Ever, Amen. Walker will portray the country icon and serve as an executive producer alongside Randy and Mary.

“This is what we prayed for — for somebody who would tell Randy’s life story just as he lived it,” Mary told PEOPLE.

Forever and Ever Amen is set for theatrical release in 2026. 

American Country singer Randy Travis plays guitar as he performs onstage on December 13, 1986 in Dallas, Texas. Paul Natkin/Getty

Though the stroke he suffered in 2013 severely impacted his speech, Randy has still found a way to sing. The country icon has utilized AI technology to recreate his voice and make new music. 

He’s also sung the final “amen” of his hit song “Forever and Ever, Amen” live during multiple appearances on tour and with Carrie Underwood at the Grand Ole Opry’s 100th birthday celebration in March 2025.