Randy Travis – Net Worth, Career Ups and Downs, The Recovery And Personal Life

Real Name:	Randy Bruce Traywick
Birthday:	May 4, 1959
Net Worth:	$9 million - $15 million
Height:	176 cm
Occupation:	American Country Music and Gospel Music Singer, Songwriter, Guitarist, Actor

Randy Travis is a country legend. Before the stroke in 2013, Randy Travis’s fortune was $32 million. Now, he has a cash flow between $9 and $15 million. He earned money thanks to his record sales, but also acting projects and book sales.

Born in 1959, Travis is a country music and gospel music singer. He is active since 1978 and recorded 20 studio albums. He has more than 50 singles charting on the Hot Country Songs, including sixteen reaching No.1.

Many consider Travis a pivotal figure in the history of country music. He broke through in the mid-1980s with the Storms of Life album. That one alone sold more than four million copies and established him as a major force in the country movement.

By the mid-1990s, he saw a decline in his chart success. As a result, he left Warner Bros Records and began recording Christian material. Over his career, he sold more than 25 million records and won seven Grammy Awards. He also has six CMA Awards, eleven ACM awards, 10 AMA Awards, and much more. He even has his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

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Career Ups and Downs

Travis opened the door for young artists who wanted to return to the traditional sound of country music. When he was young, Randy admired the music of legendary artists such as Lefty Frizzell, Gene Autry, and Hank Williams.

Travis learned to play the guitar at the age of 10. He loved to play and sing, but he was a troublesome child. His interest and experimentation with drugs and alcohol prevented him from playing at a young age.

Randy dropped out of school and tried several jobs. He got arrested several times. Travis was on the verge of a prison sentence at the age of 18.

Luckily, Elizabeth Hatcher discovered him. She became his legal guardian, manager, and later his wife. The couple moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 1982. Hatcher took a managing job in the Nashville Palace, a tourist-oriented club. Randy worked as a short-order cook. And by 1985, he signed with Warner Bros.

He released his debut album Storms of Life in 1985. The album landed at the Number one spot on the US Albums chart.

The album got triple certification as well. By the mid-1990s, the interest in his country music declined. That is why he switched record labels and left Warner Bros.

In the 2000s, Travis resurrected his career by singing Christian country music. Randy released his first album Inspirational Journey via World Records.

Following the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, Travis recorded a patriotic song. Titled America Will Always Stand, the song was an instant hit.

His most successful song in the Christian country music is Three Wooden Crosses. Released in December 2002, the song reached No.1 on the charts. This is his last No.1 single. He followed that with another gospel album, Worship & Faith. This one reached the RIAA gold certification.

By the end of the 2000s, Travis returned to Warner Bros and traditional country style. He released Around the Bend in 2008.

In 2016, Randy Travis was one of 30 artists to appear in the music video for Forever Country. The video celebrated 50 years of the CMA Awards.

He released his autobiography Forever and Ever Amen in May 2019. On February 28, 2020, he released a new gospel album titled Precious Memories.

In total, he released 21 studio albums, 2 live albums, and 17 compilations.

How did he lose his money?

Before the stroke in 2013, Randy Travis fortune was $32 million. But his money vanished before his eyes. In an interview, he explained the events that led to it.

After the stroke, he realized he had no disability insurance policy. Travis believed his voice got insurance, but that was not the case. He also found out that he did not receive royalty checks from his record label. The reason is he did not recoup advancements against royalties.

Travis lost the money he put away in investment accounts. In the beginning, he blamed his ex-five Elizabeth Hatcher. Yet, in the memoirs, he admitted he made a terrible financial oversight.

The Recovery

On July 7, 2013, Travis got admitted to a Dallas-area hospital after a viral upper respiratory infection. His condition was critical. Three days later, he suffered a massive stroke. The singer underwent surgery to relieve pressure on his brain.

He left the hospital on July 31, 2013, and set the road to recovery. By November 2014, he could walk short distances without assistance.

After three years of recovery, reports said he recovered his voice. He attended his induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame in October 2016. At the ceremony, he performed a rendition of Amazing Grace.

Sadly, in 2017, a report came saying he suffered permanent damage which disabled his right hand. He got limited in his ability to speak and sing. Travis continued to make public appearances.

In September 2019, the singer announced his return to touring. For his first tour, he selected James Dupre as a lead vocalist. Travis had only a limited appearance. But the tour, initially announced as a 12-city tour got reduced to three concerts.