3:47 p.m. | Updated Randy Travis, the country singer, has been treated in a Dallas-area hospital for heart problems and was listed in critical condition, his publicist told The Associated Press.
The singer, who is 54, was admitted to the hospital Sunday night. He was being treated for viral cardiomyopathy, a condition caused by a virus that weakens and enlarges the heart muscle. The condition can lead to heart failure in some cases. His publicist, Kirt Webster, said Tuesday that Mr. Travis had a pumping device implanted in his heart “for stabilization prior to transferring hospitals.â€
“We have been told he has had surgery,†the sister-in-law, Teresa Traywick, said in a statement. “Their mother passed away at an early age with her heart, so it is like these boys are following right in their footsteps. My prayers are with them. That's all I can say right now.â€
Mr. Travis, best known for hits like “Three Wooden Crosses†and “Forever and Ever, Amen,†has been through a turbulent period. In August 2012, he was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated and obstruction after he was found inebriated and naked on a Texas highway by state troopers. He had crashed his Pontiac Trans Am. Two weeks later, he was cited for assault after a fight in a church parking lot.
But he has also done some high-profile performances, appearing in the Country Music Association Festival's nightly concert series and singing at George Jones's funeral.
A winner of multiple Grammy Awards, Mr. Travis is known for his mellow voice and a back-to-basics style that evoked Mr. Jones and Merle Haggard. He emerged as a major star in the 1980s after the release of “Storms of Life†in 1986 and has recorded a score of studio albums and has had more than 50 songs on the country charts.
