Randy Travis Makes Rare Appearance on Grand Ole Opry Stage to Celebrate His 60th Birthday

Happy birthday, Randy Travis!

The country legend made a rare public appearance on Saturday to celebrate his 60th birthday at the Grand Ole Opry with his fans and famous friends.

Fellow Country Music Hall of Fame member Don Schlitz and Nashville alum Charles Esten, Josh Turner as well as Charlie Worsham were also in attendance.

Travis, who has won seven Grammy Awards, was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 1986.

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Welcome home, and happy 60th birthday, @therandytravis!

A post shared by Grand Ole Opry (@opry) on May 4, 2019 at 5:56pm PDT

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Many singers also sent congratulatory video messages to Travis, including Carrie Underwood.

“Hey, Randy! Carrie here, happy birthday! Happy 60th birthday, you know I absolutely love you. I adore you as an artist, as a human. You’re such an inspiration to me and so many others. So I just hope you have the best birthday ever because you deserve it, happy birthday,” Underwood said in footage that was shared on the Opry’s Facebook page.

Travis’ birthday appearance comes six years after he suffered a massive stroke in 2013 that nearly killed him. Not only did the star have to learn how to walk again, but his ability to speak was also severely impaired.

But that didn’t stop Travis from singing a moving rendition of “Amazing Grace” when he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in October 2016.

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Music transcends cultures. Celebrating tonight #randytravis #60thbirthday #opry #grandoleopry #nashville #nashvilletennessee

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Travis’ next big milestone is the May 14 release of his memoir, Forever and Ever, Amen: A Memoir of Music, Faith and Braving the Storms of Life, which PEOPLE exclusively revealed its cover in January.

“A book about my life wasn’t something I thought much about while I was busy living it — now I know the difference between life and living,” he told PEOPLE in a statement. “I understand that whatever I have done for myself will pass with me; but, whatever I do for mankind will remain… Forever and Ever, Amen.”

Looking back on the ups and downs in his life, Travis also revealed that writing down his memories for the book was helpful.

“I learned a lot about myself going back through the chronicles of my past,” Travis said. “In my waning years of ability, I have a clearer picture of the past.”

The icon continued, “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 back story to some of my songs, give insight to the challenges I faced, and reflect on the blessings through it all.”

from PEOPLE.com http://bit.ly/2VftShw