Randy Travis Receives โ€˜Roaringโ€™ Welcome From Hometown During Special Ceremony

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Many people gathered in Marshville, North Carolina for the unveiling of a new highway sign dedicated to country legend and hometown boy Randy Travis.

Motorists on a Marshville highway will now see a brand new sign that reads, โ€œHome of Randy Travisโ€ every day on their commute. The town did have an old sign dedicated to Travis, but took it down due to disrepair, according to The Charlotte Observer.

The townโ€™s mayor, Franklin Deese, said fans began calling him right away asking why the sign was no longer there. 

โ€œI didnโ€™t know so many people from all over the country could find my phone number,โ€ he told the crowd. โ€œThey wanted to know: Why did you take the sign down that this was the home of Randy Travis?โ€œ

As well as posting a brand new โ€œHome of Randy Travisโ€ sign at the east and west entrances of the town on the U.S. 74 , Deese also gifted the legend with the keys to the city. 

Travis, who suffered a debilitating stroke in 2013, sat on the stage in his wheelchair and was joined by his wife, who was on the brink of tears during her speech.

โ€œThank you so much for your kind words and your open arms. Thereโ€™s not many places you can go back to after 58 years and have that same kind of warm feeling,โ€ she said. โ€œIโ€™ll tell you, heโ€™s an awful special man from a very special place. Thank you for honoring him today and allowing him to be the son of Marshville.โ€

Travis was handed the microphone and said four short, but powerful words.

โ€œThank you very much,โ€ he said.

The response from the crowd was โ€œroaring excitement,โ€ according to Marshville Chamber of Commerce member Kay Strawn.

Watch Mayor Deeseโ€™s dedication to Travis in the videos below.

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About the Author

Jennifer Pernicano

Hi! I'm Jen, a Southern California-based country music fan. One of my favorite things to do is go to a country concert and experience the art of storytelling in person. There truly is nothing else like it!

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