Can the wisdom of a lifetime be shared?

I was out buying tomato plants for the garden the other day and it brought back memories of my thirteenth Summer. I was in Boy Scouts and took on a project to teach crafts at Ashton Woods Convalescent Center a few miles from my home. I remember being excited to get to teach leatherwork and other crafts to the residents. While a few took part, I remember after a while my interest turned from teaching to learning.

Many of my free hours at the center were spent helping Mr. Farnell with the community vegetable garden. He was confined to his wheelchair, but with his knowledge and my arms, we raised an outstanding garden that year. I don’t think I’ve ever been that successful with tomatoes, peppers, squash and the like. That Summer he shared with me many stories of his life, his work with A&P grocery. But largely he taught me how to appreciate the beauty of life. The joy of helping God make something grow. Many of the gardening techniques he shared with me are still with me today.

Many of the residents made a lasting impression on me that year.

Mrs. McMahan was a simple joy to be around. She was the type of person who could just make you smile when she walked in the room. In spite of her battles with bad health, her outlook was always uplifting. From her I learned that even the worst day can be faced with a smile.

Mr. And Mrs. Boxley both lived in the center. To me they seemed like a wonderful couple. They both had a spirit to enjoy life. They took each moment and did all they could with it. They both shared a passion for bird watching. They shared it with me. I still have a bird book Mrs. Boxley gave to me after Mr. Boxley passed away. Yesterday I saw a most unique bird with blue back and crimson front. There’s not a day that I see a bird I’ve never seen before they those two don’t cross my mind.

Mrs. Petit was one of the first severe stroke patients with which I spent time. She had lost the use of one side of her body and spoke only with great effort. I learned the importance of perseverance from her. No matter what craft project we undertook, she made every effort to do her part.

There were dozens of patients that Summer who I met and who became a part of my childhood. Many shared with me bits and pieces of their knowledge, their wisdom. Many were glad to share the company of a young person who was sincerely interested in them.

A boy scout project brought me there, but it was the people who kept me coming back for years to come. Eventually the folks I had grown close to were all called home. I often wish we could visit today, talk about where I’ve been and how they played a part in making me who I am today. I guess they are with me, even though I can not speak with them. They speak to me in memories, in the things they taught me. When I’m digging in the garden to plant the tomatoes, I can still envision Mr. Farnell sitting next to me saying “Dig a little deeper son, those roots need room to grow.”

I often wonder what wisdom I will leave on this earth once I’m gone. Who will remember the things that were important to me. Will I leave a legacy of Wisdom. I hope so, because within me, there are so many people who I would like to see live on in what I share.

If you have never took the time to visit with older members of your family, church, community. I encourage you to spend some time with them. Listen to their stories, even though you think you may have heard them a thousand times. When they are gone you will struggle to bring those moments back in your mind. You may even wish you had written the wisdom they shared down.

Often times with the people that we see the most, we neglect to cherish the times and wisdom they are sharing.

Wisdom can be shared. It can be passed from one to another, if only we are open to learning. Sometimes, only with age the wisdom of what has been shared with us will become apparent. But it is never to early to start accumulating shared wisdom. Someday it will come in handy. 

Winning the Doves and a new look at ‘The Carol Burnett Show’

Grits and Gravy

When I was a kid a big part of my life was looking forward to what I was going to eat at my next meal.

My folks use to say I would snack between bites. Now that I think back, I probably did. I loved to eat, but not junk food. I loved to eat good cookin’. Since I am from the South that probably meant things folks today will say are bad for you.

It wasn’t until I was in the seventh grade that I realized why the Yankees invaded the South during the Civil War.

Folks might say that it was to keep the Union together but the real reason behind it was they didn’t have grits and gravy and we did.

Amazing how finding good gravy and properly cooked grits can lead a man to desperation.

I was on a seventh grade patrol trip to Washington, D.C. and sat myself down at one of those fancy uptown restaurants where they have more waiters than you can shake a stick at.

When the fellow came over I spoke up and said, “I would like two eggs, a side of grits and biscuits with gravy. And don’t skimp on the gravy.”

That fellow just stood there with eyes wide open and said, “What is a grit?”

I knew that I was in trouble up to my elbows.

What is a grit? How do you explain something like that?

I fumbled around pretty good for a kid trying to explain how grits are made:

“Well you see, a grit comes from a corn kernel when it is ground up. You cook grits in water and can serve them several different ways, some folks eat them with sugar on them, some folks like cheese in them and other folks eat them plain with a little butter.”

He still just stared at me.

Finally I gave up and said, “Well if you don’t have grits what do you have?”

“We have hash browns,” he said. I said that would be fine if he had some ketchup to go with them.

He then told me they didn’t have any biscuits but they had some toast.

He asked me if I still wanted brown gravy on my toast ‘cause “it normally goes on mashed potatoes.”

I told him I wanted some gravy made from grease drippings of bacon or sausage mixed with flour and a bit of milk. His eyes began to fog over as I tried to explain the recipe I had seen my grandmother and mother make morning after morning.

“Reach and get you a good handful of flour and drop it in the cast iron skillet with the drippings. Then add you a couple of pinches of black pepper and just enough milk not to make it into soup and brown it until it’s done.”

I finally surmised that it would be hopeless to try any further and besides, there were three others at the table that had to order and we had a bus to catch.

So I said, “Well you don’t have grits or biscuits or gravy; any chance on getting those eggs?”

He shook his head yes.

I asked, “Would you be so kind as to bring me those?”

He replied, “Would you like eggs Benedict, eggs Florentine or poached?”

I told him if he had to steal them, I just wait until I got home.

My grandparents told me when I was little how the Yankees stole everything the family had to eat from their folks during the war.

I didn’t really didn't think of it too much at the time, but after that experience, despite the war’s being over, them Yankees were still stealing eggs from chicken coops.


04/18/12

An Appalachian sight in time –
“A Mountain Pearl”

The banjo that set the world on fire

The world said goodbye last week at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium to the man who made the banjo as familiar to the world as a bottle of Coca-Cola ® or McDonald’s golden arches.

His three-finger banjo style set the music world on its ear when he came to the stage of the Grand Ole Opry ® alongside of Bill Monroe in 1945. It is only fitting that it was at that same location that nearly three thousand mourners gathered to honor his memory as his casket sat in front of the stage where he launched into the international scene.

As he and fellow Blue Grass Boy Lester Flatt left Monroe’s band and set out to forge a career on their own, who could have guessed they would become one of the best-known country acts in history.

Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys set the stage for what a traditional bluegrass band should be and their music offered the template that others have only tried to emulate.

Thousands of banjo players around the world including notables such as Steve Martin credit their interest in the instrument to the innovations created by Scruggs.

It was Earl Scruggs as he and Lester appeared on “The Beverly Hillbillies” that inspired this young Appalachian musician’s hopes and dreams of being on television someday.

As I set out on that path forged by them and the Dillards on “The Andy Griffith Show,” I never imagined becoming a dramatic or comedic actor, I just thought I wanted to play my mountain music on television. But God had a different path in mind for me in order to reach that goal.

By the time I was big enough to attend bluegrass festivals, Earl and Lester many years earlier had split up in 1969. Earl had joined with his sons to create the Earl Scruggs Revue and was working major rock venues of that period. So my exposure to Earl in my early years was limited to his recordings and vintage TV reruns, until I met he and his wife Louise when Bill Monroe was mentoring me in 1984.

While I am not a banjo player, I still was always in awe of Earl, who graciously shared his time with me whenever I saw him or called him on the phone.

Years after becoming known as a network actor myself, I told Earl how much I appreciated the inspiration that he provided me as a child helping me reach for the stars.

About five years ago, I was honored to join Earl on stage and perform with him at the National Quartet Convention. Among the tunes we performed was of course “The Ballad of Jed Clampett,” and everyone will remember “The Foggy Mountain Breakdown.”


Lorie Watkins, Lizzy Long, Randall Franks,
and Earl Scruggs at National Quartet Convention in Louisville, Ky.

Amazingly, today as I write this, a tune entitled “Polka on the Banjo” from Flatt and Scruggs Martha White television shows is streaming through my head as I hear Curly Seckler’s tenor ringing in my ears.

As we remember the Scruggs family in our prayers for their loss, let’s also thank God for giving certain people the spark that electrifies some piece of our existence and helps make life even greater for their presence. I think that is what Earl did. A humble, caring man who loved to play banjo and guitar, who cared for his family, his friends and who changed the music world and helped place the banjo in front of millions of people.

Earl, we will all miss you but thank you for all you left behind for generations to come.

I hope we play together again – I can just hear Earl’s common lines heard on “The Beverly Hillbillies” echoing back  – “Me too, (Randall) Me too…”

A little Goober each day is a must

As we watch television classics, there are many character actors that have made their marks and found niches that have allowed them to keep in front of the American public for years and years.

One of those actors was introduced to the American television family in the 1960s.

Initially, like so many actors - George Lindsey rode onto the screen playing a bad sort opposite the heroes of the little screen westerns on shows like “Gunsmoke” with James Arness, Ken Curtis and the rest of the gang. He returned to that series in six seasons playing various roles. I remember watching him as a colorful mountain trapper with a mean streak a mile long on that show.

He also appeared on “The Rifleman” with Chuck Connors.

He came to the big screen in the film “Ensign Pulver” as “Lindstrom” in the film starring Burl Ives, Walter Matthau and Robert Walker, Jr. My friend Larry Hagman was also part of that cast.

When reviewing the Alabamian’s career, it seems it took off about 1964. Of course, that is the year that he took on the role that would make him a household name - as “Goober Pyle” on “The Andy Griffith Show”

That role endeared him to tens of millions of Americans and fans around the world.

He portrayed it there through the end of “Mayberry R.F.D.” in 1971, and also made an appearance on “Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.” After the networks cut down and show with a tree in it in the early 1970s, George took “Goober” to the rows of Kornfield County as part of the cast “Hee Haw” where he remained for more than twenty years. He even did a show in the late 1970s called “Goober and the Trucker’s Paradise.”

Despite the fact that America knew him as “Goober,” George continued special appearances on numerous shows appearing in a variety of roles from “Love, American Style,” “Fantasy Island,” “ChiPS,” Claude Akins’ “Movin’ On’” and Alan Alda’s “M*A*S*H.”

His role as “Captain Roy Dupree” on “M*A*S*H” still stands out in my memory. His depiction was larger than life and he stood out among that mega cast of characters.

He also managed to add his voice to many animated characters beginning with his work in “Aristocats” in 1970 to “Starszinger” series most recently in 2011.

For the past 15 years the University of North Alabama have hosted the Lindsey Film Fest in Florence, Ala. (http://www.lindseyfilmfest.com/). This is his alma mater where he won a scholarship and played as a football quarterback.

I have only had the opportunity to see George in passing one time in my TV and country music career, but his talents have entertained me throughout my lifetime. I know that he has given tirelessly to help others with the notoriety his career has garnered.

My reason for thinking of him this week is I learned recently that he suffered a stroke. I hope you will take a moment to remember him in your prayers asking that he receive the comfort and strength he needs during his healing. He has given us so much comfort and healing of our hearts by lifting our spirits, our hopes and even our desires to do more for our fellow man.

If I spoke to him today, I know he would want me to tell you “Goober says ‘hey’” and I am sure glad that he did and pray that he does for years to come.

03/28/12

Giddy up and catch Roy Rogers, Jr. in Branson

I have always been a fan of the music, film and TV legacy of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans.

Their musical legacy continues in the good hands of Roy Rogers, Jr. and his son Dustin Roy Rogers. They continue to keep the Rogers experience alive in America’s heartland through their shows in Branson, Mo. opening at the RFD-TV Theatre in April.

“We are excited about the opportunity to become a part of the RFD TV Family,” said Dustin Roy Rogers. “We stand committed to carry on the legacy of Roy and Dale and as their family, think RFD TV the Theatre is a perfect platform to make this happen.”



I visited their show in Branson last fall and I can assure you the time is a wonderful excursion into the western musical genre with a talented group of cowboys leading the way with their group - the High Riders.

Their musical abilities are tops and they provide an enjoyable show that would leave any western fan hankerin’ for more.
I also enjoyed the pre-show including a showing of one of the great Roy Rogers TV show episodes.

The show’s new season will start in mid April, with shows Monday through Friday at 2 p.m.
“We are going to honor Mom this year,” Roy Jr. said. “This year (October 31, 2012) my Mom would have been 100 years old. We are gearing everything towards her. She did a pilot for her own show in 1950-51 before dad’s show came on the air, so we are going to air that in the beginning and do several songs she has written.”



Roy Jr. said of course the show will continue to include the wonderful sounds that Roy Sr. made famous with the Sons of the Pioneers.

RFD have Trigger, Bullet and Buttermilk and have them at the theatre and they have also brought remnants of the float we rode in the 2012 Rose Parade, he said.
“People will be able to get up close and personal,” he said.

He jokingly said that the group performed “Happy Trails to You” 170 times during the parade on that float.
He said their show is also touring more than ever around its Branson performances, so I encourage you to look out for them in your area as well.

Branson received some damage from a tornado in recent weeks that was featured in national news media but Roy Jr. said that the theatre was not affected and that the city and businesses owners are moving quickly to prepare for their annual visitors from around the nation.

"The Roy Rogers Show" continues to air on RFD-TV, visit http://www.rfdtv.com/ for more information.

To find out the latest releases from the Rogers, visitwww.royrogersjrshow.com or simply call (417) 332-2292 for tickets.

03/21/12

Should we ban cable TV?

How many times have you flipped through the 70 or so channels which most basic subscribers receive and said, “There’s nothing on.”

Just imagine — all these choices, but nothing, absolutely nothing to watch.

When I was little, growing up in Atlanta, all we had were three network affiliates, a public broadcasting station and a couple of independent stations, including WTBS.

We always had something to watch unless the President spoke, or all three networks were covering some news they thought important. In any event, as a child you knew the evening was ruined by such things.

When you consider there are 24 hours of programming per day, with people watching TV around five hours per day, you would think that programmers would manage to put something on those 70-plus channels during prime time that people actually would want to watch.

I do not know who the decision makers are now, though I once did, but they are considered the most important people in the television industry because they can make or break careers with one decision to pick up or cancel a show.

If you have ever set with a script in hand opposite one of these people, hoping they will like your pitch and then waiting for them to call, then you will know even less than most do on how they choose what they put on screen. If we had the magic formula, we would all be TV producers.

I do not think many of them have any idea what most people want to watch. If they did, television audiences would not be declining.

Have you noticed that there is more news and reality shows on now than ever before.

I do not know about you, but for me, 30 minutes of local news and 30 minutes of national news is more than enough. Now we have several 24-hour news channels, and the networks are filling their schedules with all kinds of one-hour news shows.

They feed us train wreck after train wreck to watch as cameras follow the everyday lives of individuals who now are media celebrities. Like the old fashion soap operas that were fiction, now we invest our times and energies in the "real" lives of those they wish to put the reality crown upon.

 I don’t know about you, but I would prefer the drama or comedies.

At the same time though, I need to say that I would prefer the style of dramas and comedies which were airing in decades past. Today’s shows spend more time with trying to push the boundaries of society than trying to provide us with something for which to aspire.

We wonder what is wrong with our youth — look to the ridiculous shows programmers are putting on the air to entertain them.

As far as violence on television causing problems, well, there has always been violence in entertainment. Cowboys and soldiers have always shot guns. In fact, some of the first few frames of film ever shot in history were of a cowboy’s pistol firing at a camera. When these frames ran in early film houses, people in the audience fell to the floor thinking they would be hit by the bullet.

I do not believe that violence placed in the context of good winning over evil is what has made America’s youth turn to the violent acts we’ve seen in recent years. Baby boomers and generation Xers watched gun/phaser fights and fist fights in their movies and prime time viewing.

Yet, they were not out in mass numbers committing widespread acts of violence. Perhaps it is the graphic form violence now takes that is such a negative influence.

What today’s youth face is not the fact there is violence on cable TV, but that there is no value placed on the depicted lives lost.

Can television be saved from the abyss of endless cable channels of nothing to watch?

Yes! Take away all the channels and start over. Greater care will be spent in putting together programs to be placed on two or three channels. More people will watch. Advertisers can concentrate efforts to reach a larger audience so quality productions can once again be afforded by producers.

In television, there is apathy by many who say “This is not brain surgery; it’s only television.” That was when 30 to 40 million people watched the networks each week. Now, the networks call 10 million a hit show.

But you know what, in many respects television is brain surgery. Networks and producers are shaping the face of our future with every ill-conceived show they produce. With brain surgery, you affect the future of one individual; in television, you affect the thinking of millions around the world.

We can only hope that, with more and more choices and less and less viewers, television does not sink into the Styx of humanity to try to entertain us. 

03/14/12

Ricky Skaggs, The Whites, Dolly Parton and Vince Gill

Some of my favorite folks in the world are my friends Ricky Skaggs and The Whites – Buck, Sharon and Cheryl. They along with Skaggs Family members Molly Skaggs, Luke Skaggs and Rachel Leftwich were nominated in two categories for the 43rd Annual Gospel Music Association Dove Awards. 
 
The family are up for “A Skaggs Family Christmas Volume Two” is up for Christmas Album of the Year and “A Skaggs Family Christmas Live” for Long Form Music Video of the Year. 

Ricky has won two Dove Awards in the past including Bluegrass Recorded Song of the Year in 2001 for "Are You Afraid To Die" and also with The Whites for Bluegrass Album of the Year in 2008 for “Salt Of The Earth.”

“I’m very excited about the Dove nominations,” Ricky said. "We released Volume One back in 2005 because our fans asked us for it.

"We didn’t know if we’d ever do another one, but we've been hearing from our fans and they were ready for more Christ­mas songs, so we made Volume Two. It was a joy to create and we're excited to share it."

“A Skaggs Family Christmas Volume Two” is a 10-song CD with both studio and live recordings along with a bonus DVD filled with 26 performances of traditional seasonal favorites and new compositions from the highly successful “A Skaggs Family Christmas” tour, videotaped in high definition at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee.

As a country artist, I was honored to have a top country vocal collaboration with the Whites on a Christmas release “Let’s Live Everyday Like It Was Christmas” twenty years ago this year, so I know they sing the songs of Christmas with a special heart. For more information on their release, visit www.skaggsfamilyrecords.com.

Another one of my music friends and former film co-stars Dolly Parton has a new project coming out in April entitled “An Evening With… Dolly.”
This will be a two-disc DVD and CD combination created exclusively for Cracker Barrel Old Country Store^® for only $11.99. 




The concert will take listeners to London as Dolly performs some of the songs that have interwoven her talents into the American tableau -  “Coat of Many Colors,” “9 to 5,” and “Jolene,” her first million seller, “Here You Come Again” and “I Will Always Love You.”

One aspect of the DVD takes viewers behind the scenes for a backstage look at how the show is brought together.

“An Evening With…Dolly” will be available at all Cracker Barrel Old Country Store locations and online at crackerbarrel.com/music.

Someone I've respected since meeting him at Roy Acuff’s memorial service in 1992, was recently included in People magazine’s Top 10 Best Albums of The Century (so far) - Vince Gill's 4-cd set “These Days.” His 43-recording project shares the list with a variety of musical artists from Kanye West to Justin Timberlake

03/07/12

Jason Crabb flies with the Doves and the Crabb Family  “Together Again”

As an entertainer you spend a lot of nights on the road stopping to catch some rest or a shower in every kind of hotel imaginable along the way.

A few weeks ago as I had come down from an overnight stay to partake of the continental breakfast, I bumped into another gospel music mainstay whose unmarked bus I noticed parked outside when we arrived in the early morning hours.

It was none other than Grammy ® winner Jason Crabb. I have known Jason for several years and enjoy his music as well as his ministry. Some years ago his preaching helped me to let go of some pain that I could not seem to leave laying upon the altar no matter how hard I tried.

The Crabb Family took the gospel music industry by storm a few years ago producing numerous Top 10 hits and 16 number one hits.  After splitting into several ministries, came back together in the last year or so entertaining again. The Crabb Family took home 11 GMA DOVE Awards and garnered three GRAMMY® nominations.

Their latest CD “Together Again” from Gaither Music Group took the #1 position on the Southern Gospel sales chart when it came out a few weeks ago.  Jason produced the project that landed the #6 position on the contemporary Christian sales chart and at #123 on the BILLBOARD Top 200 list when it debuted. 

“This is really an encouragement to us,” Jason said.  “As a family, to be back in the studio and back on stage for a limited run has been a blast.  To see others embrace us and get excited about new music from us, well, that is an honor and it inspires us. “
The Crabb Family is siblings Jason, Adam, Aaron, Kelly and Terah.



“We are all doing what we do today because of the support of countless friends and fans over the years.  We are reminded yet again of their encouragement and love to us.  We appreciate them so much.”
With the announcement of the Gospel Music Association Dove Award nominees recently, Jason saw the addition of multiple new nominations for his list of accomplishments.

Jason's nominations include: Artist of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, Country Recorded Song of the Year with “Why Me”, Southern Gospel Song of the Year with “If There Ever Was a Time” by the Crabb Family, Traditional Gospel Recorded Song of the Year with “I Saw the Light”, Contemporary Gospel Recorded Song of the Year with “I’d Rather Have Jesus”, Southern Gospel Album of the Year with “The Song Lives On” and Long Form Music Video of the Year for “The Song Lives On.”

Jason’s “Who Am I,” written by my late old friend Rusty Goodman is also nominated in the Song of the Year.

“I’m just blown away,” Jason said. “My latest release, The Song Lives On, is a project I’d always dreamed of recording. I wanted to go back to my roots…back to the church where I grew up singing. To see the songs I sang in a little country church be honored in this way is special. This album is something really dear to my heart. I am grateful to the three B’s—Bill Gaither, Barry Jennings and Bill Carter — for making this dream a reality for me.”

You can find Jason’s and the Crabb Family’s latest recordings online and at retail outlets.
For further information regarding Jason Crabb, visit www.jasoncrabb.com. For further information regarding the Crabb Family, visit www.thecrabbfamily.com.

Kevin Costner is making music personal
 

When I think of movies of the last 30 years, some that rise to the top of the list are “The Big Chill,” “The Untouchables,” “Bull Durham,” “Field of Dreams,” “Dances with Wolves,” “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves,” “The Bodyguard,” “Wyatt Earp,” “Tin Cup,” “The Postman,” “Thirteen Days,” “Open Range,” “The Guardian” and “Swing Vote.”

The common thread of these films is an actor who has made a tremendous mark on cinema history – Academy Award-winner Kevin Costner.

With the recent passing of Whitney Houston, I could not help but be reminded of “The Bodyguard,” the movie in which they co-starred in 1992 and the impact that movie had.


Kevin continues to make strides in film with a new three-part miniseries coming out on the History Channel on Memorial Day 2012 starring with Bill Paxton in “Hatfields & McCoys.”
I have seen the trailer for this portrayal of the American family fued that has become legendary, it will likely be a real barn burner as the old saying goes.

A few years ago, Kevin’s wife Christine encouraged him to reconnect with his musical passion and he co-founded his rock and country band by bringing together two of his 1980s bandmates from Roving Boy - songwriter John Coinman and bassist Blair Forward.

Now they work with Larry Cobb on drums, Park Chisolm singing vocals and playing guitar, Teddy Morgan playing lead guitar and producing. Bobby Yang, Roddy Chong and Luke Bulla rotate with the band playing fiddle. 

Kevin said he approaches his musical journey purposefully.
“I always thought that music could build a stronger, more personal moment with people,” he said. “It could create an opportunity for genuine exchange much greater than a movie, TV interview or magazine.”



The revitalized musical passion has taken Kevin around the world performing in Europe, Asia, Canada, South America, and the U.S.

He described his performances in this way – “It would be real, full of mistakes and without apology. But most of all, there would be a chance to have some fun.”

Their first CD “Untold Truths" was released by Universal Records in 2008 and that was followed by “Turn It On” launched in Europe on Edel Records. His latest release “From Where I Stand” on Edel Records came out in 2011.

Kevin and his band feature all original material on their stage shows and are now touring across the United States and Canada. They also share their time performing for the USO and for various charitable causes between their paying gigs.

If you would like to see if they are coming your way or find out how to get one of his recordings, visit www.kevincostnermodernwest.com

02.22.12

Chicken addiction, homecomings and family reunions

I am sad to say that addiction in America is a tremendous problem — even in church.

Randy Travis going strong after 25 years 

When he came on the music scene years ago, he was heralded as part of the wave of traditionalists that were taking the music industry by storm.

His voice combined with solid country arrangements ushered him into the hearts of true country music fans.

His work garnered him seven Grammy awards and sales in excess of 20 million albums and an opportunity to crossover into acting making over 40 appearances on TV and in film and his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

"I'm surprised at how fast the first 25 years have gone by,” Randy said recently. “It feels like only five." 



I remember when he was making his first TV appearance on Matlock in 1992 as Billy Wheeler breaking into acting. I visited the set with director Leo Penn during that week and of course beginning with another North Carolinian – Andy Griffith was a good place for him to start.

His most recent movie roles include “Jerusalem Countdown” as “Jack Thompson” and he appears as “George Baker” in the upcoming period film “16 South.”
Randy is not resting on his laurels though, he is touring as he continues marking his Silver Anniversary with appearances from coast to coast.

“There's no better feeling than being on stage and the connection with a live audience," Randy said.

Warner Bros. Records marked the anniversary with the release of the “Anniversary Celebration” album last June.

Among the selections on the 17-track CD are a combination of originals and Travis favorites such as “More Life,” “Road to Surrender,” “He Walked on Water” and “Forever and Ever, Amen” including guest artists such as Brad Paisley, Kenny Chesney, Kris Kristofferson, Carrie Underwood, George Jones, Zac Brown Band, and Lorrie Morgan.

Also available currently is his Cracker Barrel Old Country Store ® 11-track CD - Randy Travis benefitting the national Wounded Warriors Project.

Travis is definitely one of the most successful of country music’s class of the 1980s with 18 #1 singles, 29 Top 10 chartings, certification of the rare quintuple platinum album (Always and Forever, released in 1987), one triple platinum album (Storms of Life, released in 1986), two double platinum’s (Old 8x10, released in 1988, and No Holding Back, released in 1989), eight platinum albums, and 10 gold albums.

Even with a long list of CMA, ACM, AMA and Dove awards, he still says that he considers his 1986 induction to the Grand Ole Opry as a shining highlight of his first 25 years.

While some media outlets may want to tell you about some recent exploit that dulls the shine of a star’s career, I wanted to remind folks Randy is someone that has lifted our spirits for the last quarter century.

Let’s help lift his spirits by encouraging success with his upcoming projects and concerts. Let him know that there are many more people that he can impact positively with his talents.

For more information on the tour and CD, please visit: www.randytravis.com.