Randy Travis Cancels Portions of the “Music of Randy Travis” Tour
Many of the scheduled dates for the upcoming “The Music of Randy Travis” tour have been canceled. The unique collaboration putting together many of the original members of the Randy Travis backing band with actor and singer James Dupré at center stage was scheduled to make 12 separate appearances from mid October into November. Randy Travis was also scheduled to be in attendance, and would make an appearance on stage. Now all but three of the dates have been permanently postponed, with the management of Randy Travis citing production concerns for the cancellations.
The three dates that are still set to occur include the Victory Theatre in Evansville, Indiana on October 17th, the Island View Casino in Gulfport, Mississippi on October 19th, and the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville on October 28th. See the full dates below.
At the remaining dates, James Dupré and the band will perform all of Randy’s 16 No. 1 hits including “On The Other Hand,” “Forever and Ever, Amen” and “Three Wooden Crosses.” VIP packages are also be available to meet Randy Travis in person. The backing band consists of Steve Hinson, David Johnson, Lance Dary, Bill Cook, Joe Van Dyke and Herb Shucher, along with longtime tour manager Jeff Davis.
Randy Travis suffered a stroke along with other health ailments in 2013 that left him unable to speak or sing. Over the years he has gained some abilities, but still not enough to perform. Randy Travis continues to make efforts to be a part of the country music community despite his health issues, regularly making surprise appearances at concerts and country music functions. Randy Travis recently released a new biography titled Forever And Ever, Amen, and a new song called “Lead Me Home.”
In his recent biography, Randy Travis explained in detail his difficult financial situation after his original manager and wife of 17 years, Lib Hatcher, left him with little to none of the money earned from his Hall of Fame career. The “Music of Randy Travis Tour” was an effort to get Randy Travis back into the public spotlight. Despite the cancellations, Randy and his management hope to add new dates to the tour in the future.
“We are incredibly excited to be back on the road and give Randy’s fans a chance to hear his music live again, and who better to sing his many hits than James Dupré?” Randy’s wife Mary Davis said when the tour was first announced. James Dupré played the son of a country singer played by Randy Travis in the movie The Price released in 2015.
The Music of Randy Travis Tour Dates:
Oct. 16 – Indianapolis, Ind. – The Murat – CANCELLED
Oct. 17 – Evansville, Ind. – Victory Theatre – STILL ON
Oct. 18 – Macon, Ga. – Macon Auditorium – CANCELLED
Oct. 19 – Gulfport, Miss. – Island View Casino – STILL ON
Oct. 23 – Augusta, Ga. – The Bell – CANCELLED
Oct. 24 – Spartanburg, S.C. – Memorial Auditorium – CANCELLED
Oct. 25 – Knoxville, Tenn. – Knoxville Auditorium – CANCELLED
Oct. 26 – North Little Rock, Ark. – Verizon Arena – CANCELLED
Oct. 28 – Nashville, Tenn. – Ryman Auditorium – STILL ON
Oct. 29 – Atlanta, Ga. – Symphony Hall – CANCELLED
Nov. 1 – Minneapolis, Minn. – TBA – CANCELLED
Nov. 2 – Green Bay, Wis. – Weidner Center – CANCELLED
October 13, 2019 @ 10:49 am
What do you make of this Trig? Low ticket sales? Inability for Randy to travel in his condition.
I know I’d go if there was a performance anywhere near me, but I wonder if people became jaded after realizing Randy wouldn’t be singing. A lot of the comments I saw online initially seemed to be from people who thought this would be a conventional concert, even though the articles clearly said the other guy would be singing.
October 13, 2019 @ 11:27 am
I really hate to speculate because this is just an unfortunate situation all the way around. It’s unfortunately Randy suffered his health issues, it’s unfortunate he’s unable to work, it’s unfortunate that his wife/manager left him with virtually nothing, and it’s unfortunate this idea seems to be received with lukewarm reception by the public. If you look at the dates that remain, it’s all smaller venues. They were never going to be able to draw 15,000 people to Little Rock to justify holding this at the Verizon Arena. I think they should see what the reviews say for these first few shows, and if it looks like a viable production, keep it at the 1,500-5,000 capacity theater circuit, and it will be fine. Everyone will still be able to make money, and people will be a lot more excited to see this in a more intimate setting.
I don’t think Randy’s condition has a lot to do with this. Everything that I’m hearing is that he’s healthy otherwise, totally able to travel, and communicate more than people give him credit for. He just can’t speak except in a few words, and still has some paralysis.
October 14, 2019 @ 2:14 pm
Yeah, Robinson would have been a better venue in Little Rock. Either that or Fort Smith or NWA (possibly the AMP)
October 13, 2019 @ 11:11 am
On the one hand — no song pun intended — I can see why the ticket-buying public weren’t too excited about hearing someone other than Randy sing his songs. But on the other hand, those cancelled dates were still a chance to see Randy’s original band, and a competent singer, play some of the greatest country tunes of all time, and a chance to give Randy himself a standing ovation when he appeared onstage. It’s sad that there apparently wasn’t enough interested people to make those shows viable and yet there’s apparently a sufficient quantity of passive and indiscriminate music fans to enable Dan + Shay = Shitty Pop Music to be doing an arena tour.
October 13, 2019 @ 12:02 pm
I feel like there are better ways than this concert series for him to make some money. I personally don’t think I would go to one of these concerts if they were local just because it’s not Randy singing. I love Randy. Unfortunate that he is unable to sing & make a living from it anymore. I bought his book which I thought was great. Why can’t he release an album of previously recorded unreleased songs? I feel like people would be interested in that over the concert idea.
October 13, 2019 @ 12:39 pm
This is sad to see. I haven’t read the new book but enjoyed Don Cusic’s book about Randy Travis from the early 90s. Fascinating career. I hope everything turns out ok for him. Success is so fickle.
October 13, 2019 @ 5:03 pm
Come back to Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana Randy!!
October 13, 2019 @ 5:17 pm
He has the ability to draw an audience
Just appearing but it will change come November when his new friend shares the road to new beginnings and happiness. And you will see Randy. On stage singing come November
October 13, 2019 @ 6:35 pm
Waiting here in Minnesota! When you’re ready, Randy! Love you!????
October 13, 2019 @ 6:56 pm
“Lib Hatcher, left him with little to none of the money earned from his Hall of Fame career. ”
What the hell does that mean. Money–millions of dollars–does not just disappear.
Didn’t she have to provide an accounting in the divorce?
If Hatcher expropriated the money or dissipated it in some improper manner, Travis should sue her and/or press criminal charges.
When Randy Travis started to make real money–with a major-label record contract and platinum record sales, major concert tours, and movie appearances, did he really not hire serious financial advisors and attorneys to set up his assets and investment portfolios? Did he really just leave it all in the hands of this former nightclub operator from Charlotte who he met as a teenager and married?
October 13, 2019 @ 7:08 pm
“Did he really just leave it all in the hands of this former nightclub operator from Charlotte who he met as a teenager and married?”
Yes. He explains it in great detail in his biography.
October 14, 2019 @ 12:25 am
If Randy Travis, from his 20s through his 40s–allowed Lib Hatcher to control all his assets and deplete him of the millions of dollars that he earned–then this is a man with some serious developmental disabilities (and I’m talking about pre-stroke).
No reason not to be blunt about it.
October 14, 2019 @ 9:43 am
Lib Hatcher was Randy’s manager. It was her job to control all of his assets. Randy admits he was a wide-eyed country boy and signed whatever she put in front of him without ever reading anything. Then when she decided to move on, she set herself up with a golden parachute. It is what it is, and they story is as old as time. Randy also lays out that if it wasn’t for Lib Hatcher, he probably would have never had a career. He actually thanked her (via Mary) when he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
October 14, 2019 @ 4:10 pm
Sorry, it doesn’t compute. When you’re earning millions of dollars and signing large contracts, you have to have professional financial advisors and managers and tax planners looking over your finances. If Travis didn’t know that, I’m sure his producer, Kyle Lehning, and other artists who he interacted with–from George Jones to Alan Jackson would have told him. The story as you describe it, seems to suggest that Travis was mentally handicapped–maybe an “idiot savant” who could sing country music and do some acting, but was otherwise incompetent.
October 14, 2019 @ 4:23 pm
Luckyoldsun,
You left the same kind of comments on my review of Randy’s autobiography. All I can do is go off the information I have, and according to Randy and the people close to him, he entrusted his finances to Lib Hatcher solely, which would have been her job as manager. I don’t find it implausible whatsoever that this left Randy Travis in a difficult financial situation. It seems to happen to performers more than it doesn’t. Most artists make absolutely terrible financial managers, and great financial managers usually make terrible artists. This is as rock solid of a maxim as you will find in music. If you’re saying what Randy is claiming is not true, you’re calling him a liar. All I’m telling you if what Randy and people close to him say. Frankly, you’re being a little irrational thinking it’s implausible Randy Travis ended up broke.
October 14, 2019 @ 4:50 pm
Luckyoldsun you’re the biggest piece of crap I’ve ever read a comment from. Hiding behind a nickname and talking bad about a guy who can’t defend himself. There’s a special place in Hell for you. (And yes, I know I’m using a nickname, but feel free to ask Trigger who I am and have him point you in my direction)
October 15, 2019 @ 8:50 pm
I don’t care about your melodramatic comments and judgments, ITK. I’m not “talking bad” about the guy. I’m simply being blunt in assessing the facts that he presented. (And I don’t know why you think I should want to be “pointed in your direction.” Are you suggesting that we should meet? Or carry on a correspondence?)
October 15, 2019 @ 12:33 pm
Then there was the Elvis and Colonel Tom Parker fiasco. I think I read that Colonel Tom got Big E to sign a lifelong contract allowing the shady Colonel to get 50% of all profits!! And the reason E didn’t play overseas is Colonel Tom wouldn’t allow it as he had a rap sheet in Europe and woulda been arrested! And somehow, a young naive kid from Tupelo named Elvis actually signed this agreement! It happens folks….
October 14, 2019 @ 1:35 am
‘He explains it in great detail in his biography.’ – emphasis on ‘He’. Every story has two sides.
October 14, 2019 @ 9:26 am
You’re saying…what? It didn’t happen?
October 13, 2019 @ 10:11 pm
the concept just seems so bloody desperate and gimmicky to me.
i don’t know mr. dupre ….but i can think of two or three local singers who would KILL on Randy’s material …..not just as sound-alikes but as honest -to-goodness country vocalists .
and i’m sure COUNTRY fans here could say the same .
October 14, 2019 @ 10:22 pm
Seems exploitative and sad.
October 14, 2019 @ 4:01 am
Should ask Cody Jinks to do this tour and sing Randy’s songs.
October 14, 2019 @ 5:23 am
Randy isn’t the 1st person to have lost his shirt, due to trusting someone close to him.
Billy Joel lost a fortune, to his thieving brother-in-law.
And Joel is a street tough, street smart New Yorker.
Wishing Randy all the best.
He seems to me to be a very sweet soul, with a very big heart.
October 14, 2019 @ 9:54 am
Billy Joel “street tough”?! He grew up in Long Island, in Oyster Bay, hardly the mean streets.
October 14, 2019 @ 12:26 pm
The Rolling Stones got ripped off by their first (I think) manager. Luckily for them they were young enough to recover. It’s why Mick Jagger is a hard headed businessman <– FACT! in addition to being the greatest front man in rock and roll <– OPINION!
It is a story as old as time and it's sad that he's not in a position to recover from it.
October 14, 2019 @ 12:50 pm
Makes me wonder if we couldn’t pass the hat around for him.
Not a schmaltzy go fund me, but an honest-to-goodness, passing of the hat, to gather some funds for him.
Of course, would have to be set up by an hopefully trustworthy source.
October 15, 2019 @ 12:28 am
This is just sad. A great man like this deserves better. I would go to this but there were no dates that worked for me.
October 15, 2019 @ 6:04 am
Life is unfair at times. But with help of family, friends and God, we all can go on. We pray for you Randy and are waiting for you to return to the stage stronger then ever. We all LOVE YOU AND MARY!!!!
October 17, 2019 @ 8:47 pm
Just went to the concert and I enjoyed the music of randy travis. I shed more tears than u should at a concert. I left feeling sadden by how unfair life is. It was nice to see randy enjoying his music too. He swayed back and forth while mary sang all the lyrics. People went to front of stage to take his picture and he would wave. Was a good remembrance of great songs. Sad he has to go thru this to try and reearn some money.