Randy Travis Cannot Sing, But He's on Tour: Here's How

Randy Travis made headlines earlier this month with the release of an AI-assisted new song, "Where That Came From."

The country legend has also been touring on the More Life Tour, which is interesting when you consider that he can no longer sing since he suffered a massive stroke in 2013.

The More Life Tour is sort of like a tribute concert, but the artist being honored is still alive and makes appearances during the concerts but does not sing. Instead of Travis, singer James Dupré, who was also featured on the AI track, fronts Travis' original touring band (Steve Hinson, David Johnson, Lance Dary, Bill Cook, Joe Van Dyke and Herb Shucher).

Dupré and the band play a set of Travis' 16 No. 1 country hits, including "On the Other Hand," "Forever and Ever, Amen" and "Three Wooden Crosses," accompanied by video highlights from Travis' career.

The tour hits the Greenville Municipal Auditorium in Texas Friday (May 24) and restarts on June 5 with a high profile stop at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. There are two other dates in June, and shows in July, August, September, and November.

Dupré is a former EMT-paramedic from Louisiana who first gained notice on YouTube in 2007 and appeared on Ellen and later The Voice. He was signed to Warner Nashville in 2011, after he released and charted his debut album, It's All Happening, in 2010. Through the years, he's continued to release his own recordings, with his last album, Home and Away, arriving in 2020.

His ties to Travis date back to his appearance in the 2015 film The Price in which he appeared alongside the country star playing his son in the drama about a father attempting to fix his damaged relationship as his son launches a career in country music.

In 2019, Dupré was chosen by Travis and his wife, Mary, to serve as the singer on The Music of Randy Travis Tour, which evolved into the current More Life trek.

"I've been told that I have a similar tone," Dupré said during an appearance on the Bobby Bones Show. "But I'm not going to go and try to sound like him. You know what I mean? Because I don't think that's possible. But I guess I have a similar range."

Tags

Randy Travis