RANDY TRAVIS WINS SOUND EXCHANGE MUSIC FAIRNESS AWARD.

September 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Washington — We are happy to announce that Randy Travis, a legend in the country music industry, has been named a recipient of the Sound Exchange Music Fairness Award.

Travis has long supported the American Music Fairness Act and has pushed Congress to update the country’s copyright laws for artists.

Travis was hospitalised in 2013 for viral cardiomyopathy and is now suffering from aphasia, which makes it difficult for him to speak or sing.

Travis and his wife Mary spoke before Congress earlier this year in support of modernising the country’s copyright law to safeguard creators, alongside Sound Exchange President and CEO Michael Huppe.

AMFA would oblige terrestrial broadcasters in the United States, the world’s only democratic country without a performance right for artists on AM/FM radio, to pay artists royalties when their music are aired on the radio. (Full witness testimony and video of the hearing are accessible at judiciary.house.gov.)

Randy Travis is a music icon and a fearless leader, prepared to do whatever it takes to ensure that everyone – from music fans to policymakers – is aware of the unfairness suffered by creators for more than a century’, said Michael Huppe, President and CEO of SoundExchange.

“Randy and Mary’s impassioned testimony is a step forward in creating a brighter future for the next generation of artists. We are honoured to present Randy Travis with the SoundExchange Music Fairness Award.”

“Thank you, SoundExchange, for recognising Randy’s advocacy.He loves his country radio and all who work toward it; also, he respects fellow artists. What he is advocating here is a fair arrangement to get artists, labels and radio on the same page in the future given the state of music, Mary Travis said on behalf of Randy Travis.

“An old Greek proverb says, ‘a society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they shall never sit’ – it’s up to artists like Randy to help make a better world for those to come. he embraces that responsibility whole-heartedly.”

Travis has been a Sound Exchange member since 2003, and he trusts Sound Exchange to collect worldwide neighbouring rights fees on his behalf through over 65 agreements with counterpart organisations that represent approximately 90% of the global neighbouring rights market.

Randy Travis is one of the most successful multi-genre performers of all time, with lifetime sales exceeding 25 million. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2016. He joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1986.

His awards include seven Grammys, eleven Academy of Country Music Awards, ten American Music Awards, two People’s Choice Awards, seven Music City News Awards, eight Dove Awards from the Gospel Music Association, and five Country Music Association Awards.

Some of his at least three CMA Song of the Year Awards are “On the Other Hand” (1986), “Forever and Ever, Amen” (1987), and “Three Wooden Crosses” (2002). He recorded 23 No. 1 songs, 31 Top 10 hits, and acted in over 40 films and television shows.

His discography consists of four Gold albums, four Platinum albums, one Double Platinum album, one Triple Platinum album, and one Quintuple Platinum album. Travis was honoured by the USO in 1992 with the Bob Hope Entertainment Award for his support and dedication to US troops, which included five USO tours.

Travis was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2004, and he is also honoured on Nashville’s Music City Walk. Travis has made considerable progress in his recovery since his near-fatal stroke in 2013, thanks to the support of his wife Mary and intense physical treatment.

This includes improvements in speaking, walking, and singing. In 2019, he published his critically acclaimed memoir Forever and Ever, Amen, co-written with Ken Abraham. Travis was selected CMT Artist of a Lifetime in 2021.

In 2022, he released the award-winning documentary More Life, which received six Telly Awards.Almost nine years after his latest new song, Travis was about to officially unveil “Where That Came From” through Warner Music Nashville on May 2024, and as usual, it came laced with his signature voice.

The song debuted at No. 45 on Billboard’s Country Airplay, and with that, feedback started pouring in, first from the fans and then from the radio stations as well. For additional information, go to RandyTravis.com.

Sound Exchange is a leading music technology organisation on a mission to enable the future of music. It was founded independently in 2003 with the goal of using technology, data, and activism to create a more equitable, simple, and efficient music industry.

Sound Exchange is the sole organisation designated by the United States government to operate the Section 114 sound recording license. It collects and distributes digital performance royalties on behalf of 700,000 music producers and growing.

Sound Exchange has paid out more over $11 billion in distributions to date, thanks to patented music technology solutions that convert data into correct revenue. For additional information, go to soundexchange.com.