Carrie Underwood delivered an emotional tribute to Randy Travis during NBC's Opry 100: A Live Celebration at the Grand Ole Opry on Wednesday. The event, hosted by Blake Shelton, marked the 100th anniversary of the iconic Nashville venue and featured performances from numerous country stars, including Ashley McBryde, Brad Paisley, and Kelsea Ballerini.
Underwood began her performance by recalling how she first discovered Travis through a cassette tape belonging to her sister. 'From the first time I heard him sing, his traditional country voice and those songs, I was hooked,' she said. 'And I knew my sister was not getting her tape back.' She also shared that meeting Travis years later moved her to tears.
The singer performed two of Travis's songs, 'Three Wooden Crosses' and 'Forever and Ever, Amen.' During the latter, she stepped off the stage, sang directly to Travis, and handed him the microphone for the final line, 'Amen.' She then hugged him as the audience applauded.
Fans on social media expressed their emotional reactions. One wrote, 'Tears everywhere as Travis closes the Carrie Underwood performance,' while another added, 'I'M NOT CRYING YOU ARE.' A third commented, 'Beautiful touching moment between those two. Not a dry eye in the Opry or here at home.'
Travis suffered a stroke in 2013 after being hospitalised with viral cardiomyopathy, which left him with aphasia and limited his ability to speak. He relearned to walk, spell, and read, and did not release new music for over a decade. In 2024, he returned with the single 'What That Came From,' created with the help of artificial intelligence to recreate his voice. Earlier this month, he announced his More to Life Tour, which will visit over 40 US cities.
