Country Music Hall of Fame member, Randy Travis is celebrating the 35th anniversary of his debut single “On The Other Hand” with the release of “Fool’s Love Affair,” his first never-before-heard single since his 2013 stroke.
Originally recorded as a demo, the song was previously tucked away in storage until one of the song’s writers, Charlie Monk, stumbled upon it and sent it to producer Kyle Lehning to reimagine.
The song is out now and has quickly become a favorite among the legendary entertainer’s fanbase.
“It’s a fool’s love affair / and we’re both aware / it’s a game and nobody wins,” Travis sings in the chorus. “We can’t reveal / the love that we feel / so we’ll just keep it this way ’till it ends.”
Travis’ wife Mary describes the song to the Tennessean as “so, so pure and true.”
“Fool’s Love Affair” was recorded prior to the release of his 1986 debut LP, Storms Of Life, and is Travis’ first single since his 2013 stroke when the singers distinctive voice was taken from him.
The song was co-written by Keith Stegall, Charlie Monk and Milton Brown.
In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Mary said that her husband is continually making improvements with his health.
“When we left the hospital in November 2013, they said, ‘Well, you know, he’s going to be bedridden the rest of his life. And you will be in and out of hospitals the rest of his life. So this is a huge task that you’re taking on,’”
“I said, ‘I don’t mind that… and I don’t believe it,’” Mary said. “He got to the point where he pretty much shut down as far as going through the rehab because it does get tedious. When there’s that much damage done, you take tiny baby steps. There are plateaus — you’ll see a spurt of improvement, then it’ll flatline for a while and you’re just kind of at a plateau, and then you’ll see another improvement and every little thing is such a huge thing.”
Listen to Travis’ “Fool’s Love Affair” above.