Randy Travis returns after stroke, sings ‘Amazing Grace’

Country legend Randy Travis was officially inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame on Sunday.

Since Travis has sold over 25 million records and has a slew of awards, including six Grammy Awards, his nomination and induction was not surprising. However, what was surprising was his rendition of “Amazing Grace” that he sang at the induction ceremony.

In 2013, at 54, Travis suffered from a viral infection that caused a life-threatening stroke. He lost his ability to speak and most of his mobility. Travis’ recovery has been slow but steady. Earlier this year when the 2016 inductees were announced, his wife, Mary Davis Travis, said the singer was taking “giant baby steps” toward recovery.

In his first public performance since his stroke, Travis sings the familiar lines in a touching and moving way. While the words are slightly garbled, the singer’s former vocal prowess and determination show.

Garth Brooks, a fellow member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, inducted Travis.

“Name me any artist from any genre in the history of all music that took a format, turned it 180 degrees back to where it came from and made it bigger than it has ever been before,” Brooks said about Travis’ many accomplishments in country music.

Watch the video on YouTube here.