What are many people in the entertainment world worried about? artificial intelligence This will mean something for the future, but for Randy Travis, technology is giving him his voice back.
Travis suffered a major stroke in 2013 after being hospitalized for viral cardiomyopathy caused by a respiratory infection.
The stroke left Travis with aphasia, limiting his ability to speak and sing.
But now, thanks to a new AI model, Travis’ distinctive and resonant voice has been recreated and used in a new song, “Where That Came From.”
Randy Travis’s wife, Mary Travis, said, “Music is what he’s made of” as she discussed having an AI recreate her voice, which was lost to aphasia. (Daniel Bozarski/Getty Images for Churchill Downs)
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“Eleven years ago I never thought I’d be able to dabble in any kind of music production,” Travis said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “But by the grace of God and the support of family, friends, fellow artists and fans, I have been able to make the music I love so much. Working with Kyle Lehning and Warner Music Nashville again has been very special and nostalgic, And I’m so excited to share my new song ‘Where That Came From’ with you today. Thank you so much to my amazing team and the best fans in the world for getting me back into music.
His wife Mary Travis told “CBS Sunday Morning,” “Music is what he’s made of. Music is his heart, it’s his soul.”
Mary talks a lot with Travis by her side in interviews and told the outlet that she knows what he wants to say but not able to get it out,
Travis said he had come to terms with his position and when asked about it, replied, “Yes. Yes.”
When Warner Music Nashville co-president Chris Lacey was approached about the idea, Marie told The Associated Press He and Randy were on board immediately.
Randy Travis, left, is presented with a plaque commemorating 25 million records sold in 2017 by Warner Music’s Justin Luffman and Peter Strickland, Mary Travis and Warner Music’s Chris Lacey. Lacey came up with the idea of using AI to recreate Travis’ voice for a new song. , (Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Outback Concert)
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“Well, we were all there, so we were very excited,” she said, “everything I ever wanted from that day [the] Stroke had to hear that voice again.”
Lacy worked with developers in London to create two different proprietary AI models, one using 12 samples of Travis throughout his career and the other using 42.
Singer James Dupree provided a vocal demo for the AI, which features Travis’ voice on top of Dupree’s vocals.
Travis’s longtime producer, Kyle Lehning, told “CBS This Morning” that it is not as scientific a process as it sounds, saying, “It’s not about how it feels; it’s about how it feels.” how it feels.”
Two separate AI models were trained using Travis’ voice, aided by a demo track sung by another singer. (Anna Weber/Getty Images)
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Lehning also told the outlet that Travis has been very involved in the process.
“Having them here and being able to be an important part of the decision-making process makes a huge difference to me,” he said.
Lacey said, “This is Randy Travis. Randy’s on the other side of the microphone. It’s still his voice. There’s no reason why he shouldn’t be able to make music, and if he still wants to do it, he should.” Be deprived of it.” This is unconscionable to me.”
Mary told the AP that this use of AI to recreate a singer’s voice is the “human element.”
Mary told the AP that using AI to recreate Travis’ voice was different because of the “human element.” (Theo Wargo/WireImage)
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He said, “Randy, I remember the first time he heard the song after it was finished. It was beautiful because at first he was surprised, and then he was very concerned, and he was listening and reading.” “And then he put his head down and his eyes watered a little bit. I think he went through every emotion in those three minutes of hearing his voice again.”
He added, “We’re hoping that maybe we can set a standard when it comes to the use of AI”, showing how well it can do compared to others. more nefarious uses Which are making headlines.
For now, “Where That Came From” is the only song completed with the new AI model of Travis’ voice, but there is hope for more from all parties involved.
“There may be others,” Mary told the AP. “We’ll see where it goes. It’s such exotic territory. There’s likely a lot more on the horizon.”
Mary said she may continue to use AI to create more songs with her husband’s voice. (John Shearer/Getty Images for ACM)
“We have other tracks as well. It’s not a stunt, and it’s not a parlor trick,” Lacey told the outlet.
Last year, Travis and Marie spoke to Fox News Digital about their situation going forward A tribute concert, Which also raised funds for the Randy Travis Foundation, which focuses on stroke and aphasia awareness and supporting music education in schools.
“We want people to understand stroke, stroke rehabilitation, that there is life after stroke,” Mary said at the time. “We found that of all the rehabs we went through, life is the best rehab. Just get out there. Go do what you used to do. You know, the world might wonder why you’re here, but just go There and, you know, dance like nobody’s watching and sing like nobody’s listening and just have a good time. It’s really the best therapy.”
Last year, Mary and Travis spoke to Fox News Digital and credited their faith for helping her recover. (Jason Kempin/Getty Images for CMT/Viacom)
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Mary also cited her and Travis’ faith in helping her work through recovery.
“He’s very loyal,” she said. “We, you know, we depended on God so much. It’s been 10 years now since the stroke, and it’s hard to believe. … There really are no words for it, and not a day goes by When I don’t thank God for his grace and his mercy.”