With help from AI, Randy Travis got his voice back. Here’s how his first song post-stroke came to be

By MARIA SHERMAN
AP Music Writer

With artificial intelligence, country music star Randy Travis has his voice back. In 2013, the Travis was hospitalized with viral cardiomyopathy and later suffered a stroke. He now has aphasia, a condition that limits his ability to speak. It’s why his wife Mary Travis assists him in interviews. It’s also why he hasn’t released new music in over a decade, until now. “What That Came From” is a new composition, developed using an AI model built from vocal samples across his career. “We were so excited,” said Mary Travis in an exclusive interview with AP, while seated next to Randy. “All I ever wanted since the day of a stroke was to hear that voice again.”