How Randy Travis Reacted To His Name Appearing In Unreleased Song By Stella Lefty

Randy Travis responded to rapidly-rising artist Stella Lefty when she named him in an unreleased song.

Lefty, 24, shared a clip of an unreleased song, "Raised by the Radio," on TikTok. She nods to a few mainstays in the genre in her lyrics, including Keith Whitley, Tim McGraw and Travis, 67, who wrote in the comments: "Thank you for the nod, Stella! I've always thought you could stand toe to toe with the very best in Nashville. Keep believing ... face to the sunshine and shadows fall behind you!"

The sweet comment from the country legend arrives shortly after Lefty, an iHeartCountry On The Verge Artist, released her debut album. Long Way Home arrived last month with "Lean In, Kiss Me," "Thinking 'bout You," "I Know I Know," "Something To Lose" with Vincent Mason, and her viral single, "Boston." Lefty sang "Boston" during her debut at the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Festival last weekend. She previously said her first album was "a labor of love," and she's "so incredibly proud of these songs."

Travis' comment arrives as he celebrates the 40th anniversary of his own debut album, Storms of Life, in 2026. The milestone anniversary arrived in June, and by the end of the year, Travis is slated to deliver a new 12-track record. Same Old Way will feature Travis' first collection of original music in nearly two decades. The songs were written and recorded prior to the singer's stroke in 2013, which left a lasting impact on his ability to speak. He's since released AI-assisted singles, plus a few original tracks from his upcoming album (the title track, "Fish On," and "I Don't Care"). Same Old Way is due to release on November 13.