Garth Brooks and Luke Combs Discuss the Profound Impact Randy Travis Had on Country Music

Every new generation of country artists builds on the foundations laid by those who came before them. This is true no matter how big those artists become. Recently, Luke Combs and Garth Brooks—two titans of the genre—discussed the artists that inspired them and laid the groundwork for their careers. Randy Travis was at the top of that list.

Recently, Combs appeared on Brooks’ The BIG 615 TuneIn show to discuss his career and more. During their conversation, Combs talked about the artists who inspired him and Brooks revealed who he thinks opened the door for him and artists like him to achieve success in the ‘90s.

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[RELATED: On This Day in 1985, Randy Travis Released His Debut Single “On the Other Hand” for the First Time]

Luke Combs and Garth Brooks on the Importance of Randy Travis

“When I was riding around in the car, my guys were Vince [Gill], you, Clint Black, Brooks & Dunn, Randy Travis, Travis Tritt,” Luke Combs said. “The first thing I can remember singing was Vince,” he added.

“The list you named, there’s one guy that’s ahead of all of them in age and it’s Randy Travis,” Garth Brooks said. “I’ll tell you this, being one of those guys on that list, being one of those guys in that era, if it wasn’t for Randy Travis, I don’t think any of us would have been on the radio,” he added. “He brought traditional country radio back.”

Brooks makes a solid point. Country music underwent a transformation in the ‘90s. Producers began to tone down the pop elements in songs, moving away from the Urban Cowboy sound of the mid-to-late ‘80s. Some artists started to incorporate more rock elements into their music, harkening back to the Outlaw movement of the ‘70s. Most importantly, though, the traditional country sound made a massive comeback in the first half of the decade.

Artists like Travis and George Strait debuted in the ‘80s. They helped to spearhead a movement of traditional-leaning artists within the genre. Then came the “Class of ‘89” which included Alan Jackson, Clint Black, Travis Tritt, and Brooks. They further pushed the genre’s pendulum back toward traditional-sounding country music.

Featured Image by S. Bukley