Randy Travis’ new book, Forever and Ever, Amen: A Memoir of Music, Faith, and Braving the Storms of Life, was recognized by AudioFile with their Earphones Award, which is given out monthly to “titles that excel in narrative voice and style, characterizations, suitability to audio, and enhancement of the text.”

Randy’s new book was narrated by Rory Feek.

Randy, with the help of author Ken Abraham, shared stories of his working-class childhood, country music career, medical problems, broken marriage and more in the new biography that was released in May.

“I didn’t really feel I had a book to write until I stood on the distant shore and looked back over the ripples my life has made—on myself and on others,” said Randy. “My songs were the stories of my life and I learned from those who listened, they were theirs too—my fans inspired me and continue to do so.”

Over the course of his career, Randy has recorded 18 No. 1 hits and sold more than 25 million albums. He suffered a near-fatal stroke in 2013, but with the help of wife Mary and physical therapy, he has made improvements in his speaking, walking and singing. He was elected into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2016.

“I learned a lot about myself going back through the chronicles of my past,” said Randy. “In my waning years of ability I have a clearer picture of the past. It’s an interesting game of patience to sit and wait for the clocks of time to expose so much. As the candle burns, it is time to share the history that made me who I am, tell the backstory to some of my songs, give insight to the challenges I faced, and reflect on the blessings through it all.”

Thank you @AudioFileMag for the Earphones Award! and thank you again to @joeyandrory for lending your voice to help share this story. https://t.co/tRG8ooEeYC pic.twitter.com/tw2icaiFZc

— Randy Travis (@randytravis) July 29, 2019