Country music icon Randy Travis has released a new song, “Where That Came From,” marking his first musical output since suffering a massive stroke in 2013 that left him unable to speak or sing properly. The remarkable comeback was made possible through a collaboration between Travis, his wife Mary, longtime producer Kyle Lehning, and Warner Music Nashville, who used cutting-edge AI technology to recreate the singer’s distinctive voice.
Everything you need to know:
✓ Randy Travis releases first new song since 2013 stroke using AI technology
✓ Warner Music and AI developers recreate Travis’ iconic voice for “Where That Came From”
✓ Project aims to set standard for responsible use of AI in music, ensuring artist control
The stroke had paralyzed Travis’ right side and damaged the area of his brain responsible for speech and language. Despite years of therapy, he has struggled to regain his ability to communicate. Enter the power of artificial intelligence. Warner Music approached the Travis family with an idea: using AI to recreate Randy’s iconic voice.
AI allows Randy Travis to hear himself again
Developers in London created two proprietary AI models using vocal stems from Travis’ recordings spanning 1985 to 2013. Lehning chose the unreleased song “Where That Came From,” believing it could best showcase the unique qualities of Travis’ voice. The AI analyzed the demo vocal and, within minutes, produced a stunning recreation of Travis’ performance. Lehning and engineer Casey Wood then fine-tuned the output, adjusting elements like vibrato speed and phrasing to capture Travis’ laid-back, “old soul” style.
Read more: The best 5 AI stem separation tools in 2024 (great to isolate vocals)
The result is a poignant, acoustic ballad that sounds quintessentially Randy Travis. For Mary Travis, watching her husband’s reaction to hearing his voice again was an emotional experience. “It was beautiful because at first, he was surprised, and then he was very pensive, and he was listening and studying,” she said. “And then he put his head down and his eyes were a little watery. I think he went through every emotion there was, in those three minutes of just hearing his voice again.”
While the use of AI in music has raised concerns about potential misuse, Cris Lacy, co-president of Warner Music Nashville, emphasizes that this project represents “AI for good.” The Travis family and Warner Music hope to set a standard for the responsible use of AI in music, ensuring that artists maintain control over their voices and work. The recently passed ELVIS Act in Tennessee, effective July 1st, will provide legal recourse against unauthorized voice recreation.
As for the future, Mary Travis hints that there may be more original Randy Travis songs on the horizon. However, Lacy stresses that this is not a gimmick. “It was important to have a song worthy of him,” she says. “Where That Came From” stands as a testament to the power of technology to preserve and celebrate an artist’s legacy, while offering a glimpse into the potential of AI to create meaningful, authentic music.
