If you're a Randy Travis fan like I am, you will love getting the back story on Randy's life. I still have the records I bought of his back in the mid 80's and I ask Alexa to play him often. I've only known bits and pieces of his story so I really enjoyed reading this book. Any fan of Randy's should give it a try!

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review!

I love the way this book is structured! As a long time country music fan, it was refreshing to see an autobiography like this that shared so much of his life in the spotlight and behind the scenes.

I received an electronic copy from Thomas Nelson/Harper Collins through NetGalley.
Biography of Randy Travis's life from childhood through 2018. Readers can hear his voice throughout though others provided much of the information as he continues to recover from a stroke in 2013. Kind portrayal of his first wife and accountant though their betrayals were immense. He doesn't flinch from sharing all aspects of his life. His faith shines through.

Forever and Ever, Amen
A Memoir of Music, Faith, and Braving the Storms of Life
by Randy Travis
Listen to an Audio Excerpt
Harper Collins
You Like Them
Thomas Nelson
Biographies & Memoirs
Pub Date 14 May 2019 | Archive Date 14 Jul 2020

I love reading biographies and learning more about the people involved in the music business. I read this book very quickly and I think it will be one my patrons will enjoy. Thanks to Net Galley and Harper Collins for the ARC.
5 stars. .

When I think of Randy Travis I think of my childhood. Whether my older brother and I were listening to the radio at home or if we were spending the summer at our aunt's house in Houston listening to the radio with her, Randy Travis was a big part of our childhood. We loved all of his songs. He doesn't live to far from where I do in north Texas and I knew he had a big rough patch before his stroke, and an interesting story before he became famous and I wanted to hear about it from his own mouth, so I appreciate that he wrote this book, not only to give us a glimpse at his rise to stardom, but the testimony of a broken man giving his life to Christ. This was a great read for me right before Easter. I can't believe all of the things that Randy Travis has had to overcome in his life, but I am glad he did. He seems to be in a good place now. I hope it stays that way forever and ever, amen.

Forever and Ever, Amen: A Memoir of Music, Faith, and Braving the Storms of Life is a fascinating read. I highly recommend it for readers who enjoy country music.
Five stars.

A tell all biography of one of the greats of country music. Randy Travis follows his life from growing up in the home of an alcoholic father, to beginning his music career at age 17 while being controlled by his manager, girlfriend and later wife. Travis recounts his years of success in country music only to find out later that his controlling wife/manager was stealing from him. The book ends without going into the details of his financial losses, other than the suggestion that she left him almost penniless. Most surprising to me was his grace and lack of bitterness as a result of the treatment he received.
The book picks up steam in the last third when his life and career start going off the tracks. I had heard of his DWI and very public embarrassing events, but it was good to understand the back story. Travis does not sugar coat the events and acknowledges his failures, but they are understandable when put in context. His tragic heart disease and stroke that almost killed him and left him severely disabled is covered in the last several chapters. I have a much greater admiration for Randy Travis as a man after reading the book. He was not perfect, but he acknowledged that all he had was due to the grace of God, including the unlikely ability to tell his life story. I hope the book is a great success. He deserves it.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advanced reader copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I'm so sorry I didn't have enough time to download this book. I was looking forward to reading it because I really like Randy Travis!

Warm and Honest Autobiography
I am a Randy Travis fan and have been since the beginnings of his career. It is so refreshing to have a celebrity write an autobiography and present a clear picture of himself, warts and all. This book is a lot more candid than I expected. He takes us through his rough start in life, though the highs and lows and ends up giving us a clear picture of the man. He celebrates all of the stars who have helped him and does not embellish those who have done him wrong. He keeps that to the facts. He also doesn't blame others for his shortcomings. This is an interesting look at the country music business as well as the country music icon. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

I Love randy Travis's music and he starred on Touched By An Angel a few times and was in the movie Black Dog. i couldn't get into this book though. It was hard to read with the do not duplicate stuff in it. I do think it is amazing he survived the stroke and is making a come back . I am grateful that i got to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I can remember so clearly the first time I heard a Randy Travis recording and how excited I was to discover his first major label release, the album Storms of Life. To understand my excitement, you have to recall just how bad country music radio was in mid-1986 when that album came out of nowhere; traditional country music was on its deathbed, having been replaced by spawns of that awful Urban Cowboy craze that gave us the silliness of John Travolta being accepted as a cowboy role model, line-dancing, and some of the worst music I’ve ever heard. Fans of traditional country music were yearning for new songs in the style they had loved their entire lives – but no one in the industry was paying any attention.

And then Randy Travis burst onto the scene as one of those overnight successes (who, of course, had been working for peanuts for years), and all was well in the world of country music again. Suddenly, everyone wanted to make music in Randy’s neo-traditionalist style and major labels were falling all over themselves trying to find their own version of Randy Travis. And for a while, that’s exactly what happened, enabling fans of real country music to hear the real thing on their radios for another few years. Sadly though, as soon as Randy’s generation hit middle age, the boom was over and country radio is worse today than it ever has been. But that’s not Randy’s fault. He did his bit.

But it wasn’t easy.

Forever and Ever, Amen is one of those conversational memoirs produced by so many celebrities and their co-authors (in this case that would be co-author Ken Abraham) that we’ve come to expect over the years. Reading them often has the feel of sitting down across the table from the celeb in question and listening to them reminisce for five or six hours. Forever and Ever, Amen is a little different, though, for readers who already know how the story is going to end. For those readers, this is more like watching one of those horror movies where you want to yell at the actors on screen not to go into that room or open that closet door. In the cases of Randy Travis, I wanted to yell at him, “Stay away from Lib Hatcher, whatever you do, Randy. Don’t listen to her.”

Amazingly enough, Randy Travis is such a forgiving person that he gives Hatcher all the credit for making him into the huge country music star he became despite the fact that she robbed him blind in the process, manipulated everything in his personal life to her benefit, and is probably at least technically guilty of some level of child abuse (Travis was 17 years old when their relationship began and Hatcher is more than a decade older than him). He emphasizes her role in launching and managing his career, as well as in weaning him from the teenaged drugging and drinking habits that would have likely seen him end up in prison had he not met her. And even when enumerating the ways that Hatcher abused his trust in her, both financially and emotionally, Travis never adopts an angry tone.

But there’s still the ending (at least for now it’s the ending) of the story, and that’s the part of Forever and Ever, Amen that I can’t imagine anyone reading with a dry eye. In 2013, Randy Travis suffered a massive stroke while in the midst of life-threatening breathing difficulties that stopped his heart in a hospital emergency room. Because he went into a coma at the same time, no one recognized that Travis had had a stroke and he was not treated for it until two days later, way too late to prevent massive brain damage and paralysis of his right side. It got so serious at one point that those closest to him were advised by doctors to pull the plug on him to end his suffering. When he did finally leave the hospital, the man had to learn to walk and talk again, and his recording career was over.

But Randy Travis is not a quitter, so maybe one day we will be reading Forever and Ever, Amen, Part 2. I hope so.

Bottom Line: Forever and Ever, Amen is a heartfelt memoir that tells the story of a man of faith who managed to beat the odds more than once in his life. His story is a remarkable one that will especially be appreciated by Randy Travis fans, but more importantly, it is an inspirational story powerful enough to change lives for the better.

Randy Travis is a favorite singer of mine and I.couldn't wait.to read and review his book.courtesy of Net Galley.
Randy had a very troubled childhood,which followed him into adulthood as well.
He was finally taken in hand by a domineering lady named Lib.Hatcher,who ruled his life from the age of 17 for the next 30 plus years.
He unknowingly signed documents,which virtually gave her all of his monies and properties,which until their divorce,he had no idea of her ruthfulness.
She took.almost everything He had and this was from a.man,who made over 500 million dollars in his lifetime on the road.
He was in love with another women,whom he had been friends with for years,when he was tragically taken down by a terrible illness affecting his heart,was put in a medically induced coma and almost lost his life.
It was several yrs.of physical therapy every day,before he could do much for himself.He was finally.lucky in love though and had and has Mary at his side.
He has been inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame,for the greatness of his music and how it has kept "pure country" alive.He has been a real inspiration to many young.artists and others,who aspired to be just like him.
But,we all know there will only.be one "Randy Travis."
Randy,you have written a fine book and anyone who reads it,will be a better man or woman for it.
Thank you,for sharing the most personal aspects of your life with us.

I loved reading his life story, learning how he got started and everything he went through, some good and some not so.. it was a real treat for me to learn all about someone that I’ve admired and adored as a fan throughout my entire life. This is a memoir worth reading, especially if you love Randy Travis as much as I always have. 💖

Forever and Ever, amen by Randy Travis, Randy Travis is one of my favorite country music stars I have never saw him in concert other than on TV but I love his music. What a book filled with sadness and love. Read this autobiography about Randy’s life and you will love him all over. Such devotion by his wifeMary.

I look forward to buying this when it comes out. I have tried to read this ARC numerous times, because I love Randy Travis (one of my first country artists) and his story is so interesting. However, I had no patience for the DO NOT DUPLICATE. It wasn't just on every page, but each word was scattered on every page and interfered with a line of text. So distracting I cannot read anymore of this. Four stars for the story though.

Reading this book was like sitting on the front porch of an old friend, having lemonade and catching a cool breeze in the warm southern May weather. It was a joy!
I was lucky enough to see Randy Travis (born Randy Traywick) before he was a huge country music star, in concert at my hometown High School. It was my alma mater's rival high school, but that was ok! I had purchased his first album, Storms of Life, for my then boyfriend, soon to be my first husband. My boyfriend obtained tickets shortly after to see this soon to be legend of a man.
This book is fast paced and amazingly and wonderfully written! He grew up in Marshville, NC, not far from where I grew up. He had a rough time as a child and like most country music singers, he didn't start out in church. Raised in the Bible Belt, just a good old boy!
You'll read about a very humble (still today) man. I was crying by the end of this book, so have a tissue or two ready!
Highly recommend!
I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley. Thank you so much, Netgalley!
All opinions are my own.

I have been a Randy Travis fan since his hit "1982" and have followed his career ever since. This book is a fascinating look into his life, raw and real, he describes his life from childhood on into his teens as he began to break into the music industry while working as a cook! He does not sugar coat the bad parts, it's honest, real and emotional as he gives a firsthand look into who he was, what made him who he became and who he is today. This is a wonderful book about love, innocence, drive and redemption. His faith in God and Lord Jesus is refreshing and he is not ashamed to give credit where it's due.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins Publishers for the opportunity to read Mr. Travis' book and share my honest review.

It was an honour and a privilege to read this inspirational book by a man whose music I greatly admire. While I know all his songs off by heart, I did not know the back story to any of them and it was a real treat to read about them in Mr. Travis' own words. It was wonderful to see the faith that has brought him along on this journey that he's been on. To see the true friends and fans that he has made along the way. The love and support that he receives every single day of his life is heartwarming and absolutely well-deserved.

This book was written from his heart and you can feel it on every page. Mr. Travis is a fighter, a warrior - he made it through when others might have just given up. I learned about all the great charity work that he did, that I was not aware of ad it just has made me respect all the more for having read his book. Every award he has received, every honour, every true friend and fan - he richly deserves.

I am so honoured to have read this book, at times with tears in my eyes. I have been recommending it to others and will continue to do so. I will also continue to be a fan of the man and his music.

Forever and Ever, Amen.

I love Randy Travis and this book made me feel some kind of way. I love that his story is being shared, especially as he is nearing the end of his "normal" and really watching his "normal" slip away. His pride was his family. his faith, and his music. He is only losing the last one and even then, it's still forever. This book was amazing.

Honest, touching, and deeply moving. Randy Travis's narrative voice allows readers to see why his music reaches so many people. Those of faith will find inspiration through even the most adverse circumstances of his life. And anyone familiar with Travis's story will not want to miss this.