photo: Marisa Taylor
The reason the Randy Travis stroke in 2013 was so tragic is because it took one of the greatest country music singing voices in history from us. Travis came from an era where being an incredible singer wasn’t just an asset, it was a prerequisite to singing country music. And even in that more vaunted era of the ’80s and ’90s, Travis was still one of the most gifted and cherished singers in the genre.
Travis stirred some controversy when he became one of the first major American music artists to use AI to create new music with his song “Where That Came From” released in May of 2024. In an ideal world, something like AI could be used to help bring back the voice of Randy Travis who is still around to sign off on any such endeavor, and can’t sing for himself. That’s one of the potential bright spots of the technology.
It’s the slippery slope such an enterprise sends us down that is most concerning—a path that has already seen AI slop top Billboard’s Country Digital Songs Sales Chart.
But Randy’s new song has nothing to do with AI. Taken from the archives of recordings captured before his 2013 stroke, “Where My Heart Is” is a Christmas song that perfect for the impending season. But most importantly, it’s a splendid example of Randy’s incredible voice so sadly taken from us too early.
We knew there was more Randy Travis music from before his stroke sitting in the archives. When Randy’s wife Mary was pressed about the prospects of another unheard Randy Travis album seeing the light of day back in 2023, she responded, “The chances are 100%. It has already been mixed. Everything’s ready to go by Kyle Lehning, Randy’s producer….a whole other album of Randy Travis music.”
Randy Travis also released two Christmas albums in his career, 1989’s An Old Time Christmas, and 2007’s Songs of the Season. It only stands to reason there might be a song or two left over from those sessions. Strangely, “Where My Heart Is” doesn’t come with any information on who wrote it, or when it was recorded. Perhaps they don’t know.
A Christmas song from Randy Travis really underscores the importance of being grateful for what we have, and a poignant reminder that it can be taken from us at any time. “It’s a reminder of the blessings of yesteryear and the hope of tomorrow,” Randy and his wife Mary say.
Keep your eyes out for Saving Country Music’s annual Holiday playlist that will premier shortly after Thanksgiving. It’s sure to include “Where My Heart Is.”
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