Photo: Marisa Taylor
Randy Travis debuted a heartfelt single on Friday (January 31), paying tribute to his lifelong appreciation for horses. The beloved Country Music Hall of Fame member said his bond with horses has been “therapeutic.”
“Horses In Heaven” is the latest ballad from Travis, 65, since 2024’s “Where That Came From,” his groundbreaking first studio recording in more than a decade. Before the new song begins, the legendary country star says: “Horses are real therapeutic, I guess would be a good way to put that for me. It’s a good place for me sometimes to just get away from everybody and just spend some quiet time alone, praying or just time out by yourself. This goes back to when I was sitting on a horse when I was, I think 3 months old, so I’ve been there a long time.”
“I thank God for the special team of folks who helped me jump back in the saddle to bring this vision to life, and you’ll be hearing much more about them soon,” Travis, who recently started his “More Life Tour,” shared in a post on Friday. “In the meantime, just know that my desire to share new music with you is still burning, and I’m excited to celebrate this moment together. Thank you for singing along all of these years.”
Travis announced “Horses In Heaven” earlier this week. it follows “Where That Came From,” which was the first from Travis since his stroke in 2013 that left him with lasting damage to the part of his brain that controls speech and language. Travis recovered, and recently began to release new music again with the help of AI (Artificial Intelligence). His wife, Mary, told iHeartCountry at the 59th ACM Awards in May 2024 that “it was so emotional for him and I could hardly hear because I was crying so loud. It was so beautiful to hear that voice. I waited 11 years just to hear that voice.”
Travis took a moment on Thursday afternoon (January 30) to honor and mourn for those impacted by the collision between an American Airlines passenger plan and a black hawk helicopter in Washington, D.C., and the loss of “a dear member of our country music and Warner Music family, publishing giant Ben Vaughn.” Travis said he would move forward with the debut of “Horses In Heaven” because it “feels like a timely reminder of God’s love and mercy and I hope it brings some comfort to those of us hurting through these tragedies. We have decided to continue with this release and promotion of it, but felt remiss to not share what’s on my heart right now... God Bless Ben, the victims of last night’s crash and all who are feeling the heaviness of this moment.”
Listen to “Horses In Heaven” here: