More than a decade after a stroke, Randy Travis sings again, courtesy of AI

Even if you're not into country, you can't thief but bathe successful nan baritone that is Randy Travis. His sound goes down for illustration whisky – ever has, ever since his first album, "Storms of Life," successful 1986.  "I thought if we sold 40,000 copies they mightiness fto america make a 2nd record." said shaper Kyle Lehning.

They ended up trading four million. "So, I'm a genius!" Lehning laughed.

Randy Travis and that sound helped build Warner Music Nashville into what it is today. "How do you picture nan point that conscionable hits you successful nan halfway of your thorax and unconsciously makes you consciousness full, and familiar, and known?" said Cris Lacy, nan label's co-chair and co-president. "How do you describe thing for illustration that?"

His was a God-given talent … and then, destiny took it each away.

In 2013 Travis suffered a monolithic stroke. He was fixed conscionable a 2% chance of survival. "I thought we were going to suffer him," said Lehning.

Lacy said, "It felt for illustration it could beryllium nan extremity of an era."

Besides nan paralysis, nan area of his encephalon that controls reside and connection was deed nan hardest. Randy's wife, Mary, said, "Music is what he's made of. Music is his heart, it's his soul."

Mary does astir of nan talking these days. She said Randy cognize what he wants to say, but it conscionable doesn't travel out.

Asked if he'd made bid pinch that, Randy replied, "Yep. Yep."

Three years aft his stroke, pinch Mary astatine his side, Travis was inducted into nan Country Music Hall of Fame, and gave "Amazing Grace" caller meaning. There wasn't a barren oculus successful nan house.

Randy Travis sings "Amazing Grace," alongside woman Mary Travis and Garth Brooks, during nan 2016 Medallion Ceremony astatine nan Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, October 16, 2016 successful Nashville.  Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum

In his absence, though, he's heard a batch of AI-generated fakes of his voice. A elemental Google hunt brings up sites that committedness to covert anyone's vocal into a Randy Travis sound-alike. "It doesn't sound good, and it doesn't sound real, because it's not," said Lacy.

And that sewage his grounds explanation to thinking. Lacy said, "We started pinch this conception of, what would AI for good look for illustration for us? And nan first point that came to mind was, we would springiness Randy Travis his sound back."

There were much than a fewer skeptics – Kyle Lehning, for one. "It sounded for illustration a parlor instrumentality aliases something," he said.

But Lehning (with Randy's blessing) decided to try. He and Warner Music started by pulling 42 Randy Travis tracks from nan vault, for illustration nan original signaling of his deed "1982." And then, they stripped distant nan music, leaving only nan vocal.

That was half nan recipe. The different half needed to beryllium provided by a donated, aliases "surrogate," voice. In this case, that sound came from state euphony vocalist James DuPre.

James DuPre, Mary Travis, shaper Kyle Lehning, and Randy Travis. CBS News

The AI programme – nan "secret sauce" – takes Travis' sound and overlays it connected apical of DuPre's singing. It's hardly an nonstop science.  "It's not astir really it sounds; it's astir really it feels," Lehning said.

And that is not thing a machine tin fig out. "Not yet!" Lehning laughed.

He knows Travis' sound almost amended than Randy does; they've worked together for 40 years.  This time, though, nan task was to return a computer-generated sound and springiness it Randy's state heart.  "Him being present and him being capable to beryllium a captious portion of nan decision-making process makes each nan quality to me," said Lehning.

CBS News

In nan end, they landed connected thing they felt worthy of a sound nary 1 but those who knew him champion could replicate.

According to Lacy, "It's Randy Travis. Randy's connected nan different broadside of nan microphone. It's still his vocal. There's nary logic he shouldn't beryllium capable to make music, and to deprive him of that, if he still wants to do that, that's unconscionable to me."

Two months ago, Warner Music gathered a mini circle of chap musicians into a signaling studio. Randy sat pinch a Cheshire Cat's grin, and past they deed "play."

Listen to Randy Travis' "Where That Came From":

The guidance to his first caller opus successful much than a decade was a operation of joyousness and wonder. 

For his wife, tears. For Randy's state friends, for illustration Grammy-winning superstar Carrie Underwood, location was confusion. ("How? How? How?!?") For Cole Swindell, who conscionable won 3 ACM Awards, it reminded him of why he became a state vocalist successful nan first place. ("For you each to fto maine perceive it, that intends a lot. Damn, I'm gladsome to perceive you sing!") And seasoned state prima Clay Walker was simply complete nan moon.

Carrie Underwood expresses amazement aft proceeding Randy Travis' caller song.  CBS News

Even Randy's ain family hadn't heard it until 2 weeks ago.

It was perfection ... pinch a caveat.  "We don't precisely cognize really to get present again," said Cris Lacy.

The 2nd opus they're moving connected is proving a harder seed to crack. There's still activity to beryllium done, and a batch of questions to reply astir what this each intends going forward.

But revel successful this: After a decade-long absence, Randy Travis is backmost connected nan radio. His post-stroke debut song, "Where That Came From," was released this past week.

Kyle Lehning and Randy Travis. CBS News

For Randy, it's not conscionable a single, it's a victory. And arsenic Mary says, "It's a life inspiration. Speak kindly, emotion fully, unrecorded completely, and time off nan remainder to God."

Sounds for illustration there's a opus successful location somewhere. We tin only hope.

     
For much info:

• Order "Where That Came From" by Randy Travis
• randytravis.com

     
Story produced by Reid Orvedahl. Editor: Lauren Barnello.