Randy Travis made a surprise appearance at the 2015 ACM Awards on Sunday night; the country singer has been recovering from a stroke in private for the past two years.

Randy Travis Appears At ACM Awards

Travis, 55, suffered a debilitating stroke in July of 2013, and has since stayed away from the spotlight. However, Travis appeared at the ACM Awards Sunday to celebrate the award show’s fiftieth anniversary.

Lee Brice honored Travis as he took the stage to present the award for Song of the Year. Brice sang a few bars of Travis’ hit “Forever and Ever, Amen” before revealing that Travis, himself, was sitting in the audience. “That classic song won Song of the Year in 1987, and the man who sang it had an amazing comeback to be with us tonight. Ladies and gentleman, the great Randy Travis,” Brice said.

Travis stood in his seat as cheers of adoration erupted from the crowd. “Great to have you with us, Randy!” Brice said before presenting the Song of the Year Award to Miranda Lambert.

Randy Travis Writes Emotional Letter To Fans

Following the show, Travis shared a letter to fans on his official website, thanking them for all their support. “It was an amazing gift to feel all of the love from you tonight in Dallas at the Academy of Country Music Awards. It has been a hard fought and miraculous journey since my stroke two years ago, and I have gained a greater understanding of God’s grace and how quickly events can change us,” Travis wrote.

Travis especially thanked the fans who wrote him letters of support after his stroke, saying that his fiancée, Mary Davis, “read each and every one of them to me.” Travis concluded his heartfelt letter with a promise to fans that he has no intention of quitting the music industry, promising to return to write and perform new music for them as soon as possible:

“The power of music remains a source of inspiration and healing for me. Writing songs was always a passion of mine and I still have a lot to share with you. It is my prayer that, with continued healing, one day soon, I will be back on that stage exchanging music with my fans…my friends, who with God’s amazing grace, have brought me this far. As I work through music/speech/occupational physical therapy, it is my hope that my songs of yesterday continue to touch your life in some way.”

Travis’ fiancée, Davis, also released a statement following their surprise appearance, saying, “Randy’s history with the ACM awards goes back over two decades. With the awards in Dallas and celebrating 50 years, it’s something Randy and I would not miss.”

Randy Travis Married?

Though neither Travis nor Davis commented on the status of their relationship, rumor has it that he and his longtime fiancée are actually married. Reports suggest the two were married in Texas on March 21.

Article by Olivia Truffaut-Wong

Olivia Truffaut-Wong was born and raised in Berkeley, California, where she developed her love of all things entertainment. After moving to New York City to earn her degree in Film Studies, she stayed on the East Coast to follow her passion and become an entertainment writer. She lives on a diet of television, movies and food.