RANDY TRAVIS VISITS GRAMMY MUSEUM® IN MISSISSIPPI FOR SOLD-OUT, MEMBERS ONLY EVENING FEATURING A CONVERSATION AND MUSIC FROM JAMES DUPRÉ
Photo ID (L to R): GRAMMY Museum MS Board Member and Co-Host Zach Farnum, James Dupré, Randy Travis, Mary Travis, Board Director Emeritus and Co-Host Tricia Walker
CLEVELAND, Miss. (August 8, 2025) — GRAMMY® Award winning singer, songwriter, and actor Randy Travis — one of the most influential artists in the history of the genre — made a special appearance at GRAMMY Museum® Mississippi on Tuesday, Aug. 5 as part of its An Evening With series. The exclusive members-only event, held in the Museum’s 140-seat Sanders Soundstage, sold out in less than 24 hours.
Attendees were treated to an intimate evening featuring Randy Travis, his wife Mary Travis, and special guest vocalist James Dupré, who performed some of Randy’s greatest hits, including “Forever and Ever, Amen,” “Three Wooden Crosses,” and more. A pre-event reception welcomed guests ahead of the program, setting the tone for a memorable night celebrating the legacy of the country music icon.
A highlight of the evening was a surprise live auction featuring a guitar signed by Randy Travis that went for $15,000. Proceeds from the winning bid benefited both GRAMMY Museum Mississippi’s mission to promote music education and The Randy Travis Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to raising awareness for viral cardiomyopathy and providing arts and music enrichment for children. A special thank you goes to Paul Janoush for his generous support of these important causes. In an additional act of generosity, Janoush donated the signed guitar back to the Museum, where it will be added to the institution’s permanent collection.
“We were thrilled to welcome Randy Travis, whose contributions to country music are immeasurable, for a truly unforgettable evening,” said Emily Havens, Executive Director of GRAMMY Museum® Mississippi. “The overwhelming response from our members and the generosity shown during the auction speak to the deep connection our community feels to Randy’s legacy and to the power of music education.”
“We are truly honored to sponsor An Evening with Randy Travis at the GRAMMY Museum Mississippi,” said Michael Belenchia, President and CEO of Needle Specialty Products. “This museum is such a vital part of our community and our state, celebrating the rich musical heritage that connects us all. Our company is proud to support its mission and to be a part of such a meaningful event.”
This program was generously sponsored by Needle Specialty Products and the Janoush Family, with additional support provided by Visit Mississippi, SouthGroup, Robinson Electric, Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, SuperTalk Mississippi, and Regions.
To gain access to future exclusive members-only programming like An Evening With Randy Travis, visit grammymuseumms.org/support for more information about becoming a Museum member.
About Randy Travis
With lifetime sales exceeding 23 million, Randy Travis is one of the most successful multi-genre artists of all time and a 2016 inductee into the Country Music Hall of Fame. A member of the Grand Ole Opry since 1986, his accolades include seven Grammy Awards, 11 Academy of Country Music Awards, 10 American Music Awards, two People’s Choice Awards, seven Music City News Awards, eight Dove Awards from the Gospel Music Association, and five Country Music Association Awards. Three of his performances earned CMA Song of the Year honors: “On the Other Hand” (1986), “Forever and Ever, Amen” (1987), and “Three Wooden Crosses” (2002). To date, he has earned 23 No. 1 singles, 31 Top 10 hits, and more than 40 appearances in feature films and television shows. His discography includes four Gold albums, four Platinum albums, one Double Platinum album, one Triple Platinum album, and one Quintuple Platinum album.
In 1992, Travis was recognized by the USO for his support and dedication to U.S. troops, including five USO tours, and received the Bob Hope Entertainment Award. He was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2004 and is celebrated on Nashville’s Music City Walk of Fame. Since suffering a near-fatal stroke in 2013, Travis—through the support of his wife, Mary, and rigorous physical therapy—has made remarkable strides in recovery, including improvements in speaking, walking, and singing. In 2019, he released his critically acclaimed memoir Forever and Ever, Amen, co-authored with Ken Abraham. In 2021, CMT named Travis the CMT Artist of a Lifetime. In 2022, he released his award-winning documentary More Life, which garnered six Telly Awards.
In May 2024, with the assistance of cutting-edge AI technologies, Travis and Warner Music Nashville released “Where That Came From,” marking his first new recording in over a decade and showcasing his signature vocals. The single debuted at No. 45 on Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart and was met with enthusiastic praise from fans and country radio. The release also sparked a new chapter of advocacy, as Travis and his wife began working to promote creators’ rights in Washington D.C. and across the nation, championing fair compensation and protections for artists in the evolving digital age. For more information, visit RandyTravis.com.
About James Dupré
James Dupré was born and raised in Bayou Chicot, Louisiana. He was named one of Rolling Stone Magazine’s “Country Artists You Need to Know” and has spent years sharing his smooth baritone voice with his fans across social media and at venues and festivals across the United States, Canada, and Europe. The one-time aspiring meteorologist turned paramedic became a YouTube sensation in 2007 which ultimately led to an invitation to perform on The Ellen Degeneres Show. Shortly after, he released his debut album It’s All Happening in 2010, which charted on Billboard. After signing a record deal with Warner Music Nashville in 2011, Dupré began performing and touring full-time. In 2015, Dupré appeared on NBC’s The Voice (Season 9) with a four chair turn, landing him a spot on Adam Levine’s team. Following his departure from The Voice, James released his sophomore album Stoned to Death, yielding two singles charting on the Billboard Indicator chart: “Hurt Good” and the title track. The father of five made his acting debut in the film “The Price” playing the son of a country singer portrayed by Randy Travis. In 2019, James was handpicked by Randy and his wife, Mary, as the special guest vocalist for the “More Life Tour.” Along with Randy’s original band, James performs all of the Country Music Hall of Famer’s biggest hits. James released his third studio album, Home and Away, in 2020 with three singles: the title track, “Another Love Song,” and “Painfully Pretty.” In September 2023, he made his Grand Ole Opry debut in Nashville, Tenn.. In May 2024, James was featured on CBS Sunday Morning as being the first ever “vocal bed” on a commercially released song. The single, “Where That Came From,” was the first new music released by Randy Travis in over a decade, and was produced with the help of Artificial Intelligence to reimagine Randy’s legendary vocals on new music. For more information, visit JamesDupre.com.
About GRAMMY Museum® Mississippi
Developed by the Cleveland Music Foundation—a nonprofit organization founded in 2011—the 28,000-square-foot GRAMMY Museum Mississippi is housed near the campus of Delta State University, home of the Delta Music Institute’s Entertainment Industry Studies program, which features the most unique audio recording facilities in the South. Affiliated with the GRAMMY Museum Foundation™, GRAMMY Museum Mississippi is dedicated to exploring the past, present, and future of music, and the cultural context from which it emerges, while casting a focused spotlight on the deep musical roots of Mississippi. The Museum features a dynamic combination of public events, educational programming, engaging multimedia presentations, and interactive permanent and traveling exhibits, including a Mississippi-centric area that introduces visitors to the impact of Mississippi’s songwriters, producers, and musicians on the traditional and modern music landscape. For more information, visit grammymuseumms.org.
# # #
Photo ID (L to R): GRAMMY Museum MS Board Member Zach Farnum, Board President Becky Nowell, Randy Travis, Mary Travis, Executive Director Emily Havens, Board Director Emeritus Tricia Walker
