New Signs Honoring Randy Travis Unveiled in Hometown of Marshville, N.C.
New signs honoring Randy Travis now stand in his hometown of Marshville, N.C. The signs were officially unveiled on Saturday (Sept. 15), and Travis himself was in attendance for the big event.
For years, Travis' name appeared on a sign that welcomed passers-by to Marshville; "Marshville, Home of Randy Travis & Country Living" the sign read. However, in 2014, the town chose to re-do their welcome sign, removing Travis' name from it. Town officials said at the time that the change had nothing to do with disrespecting Travis, and that the decision was not based on the singer’s legal and personal battles in recent years, but Travis' fans and some Marshville residents were not pleased with the change.
"The sign was in disrepair, so we had to take it down," Marshville Mayor Franklin Deese explained during Saturday's ceremony, joking, "I didn't know so many people from all over the country could find my phone number!"
The new signs in Travis' honor, which read "Town of Marshville ... Home of Randy Travis," will sit next to the "Welcome to Marshville, North Carolina" signs at either end of town. Travis, his wife Mary and his brother, Ricky Traywick, watched from stage as Mayor Deese gave Marshville residents their first glimpse of the new signs.
"Charlotte may have the Panthers ... but Marshville has, and always will have, the greatest country singer in the world," Mayor Deese added.
Travis continues to recover from his 2013 stroke. According to his wife, who accompanies Travis to public appearances such as Saturday's event and concerts given by other country stars, getting Travis out and about is “good for him,” and for those who see him around.
“He enjoys the music, and I think it’s good for him, just to know that the artists that are still out there, that they love him,” Mary tells The Boot. “[I]t’s been a real treat. And it’s always so heartwarming to see the reception they give this man, which, he deserves.”
Randy Travis Through the Years
7 Unforgettable Randy Travis Moments