Randy Travis and Lib Hatcher lived at 1610 16th Avenue South, way at the upper end of Music Row. The big brick house wasn't in the heart of Nashville's show business district - the real action was more than six blocks away, where all the big record companies and publishers were headquartered. The couple rented out the downstairs to their building to a publicist and an independent record promoter, which paid for their upstairs apartment. Anytime the house needed work, Randy did it. You'd see him there all the time, doing lawn work and handyman duties.

When Randy Travis recorded his first gospel album, Inspirational Journey, in 2000, he had no idea that the project would be little more than a diversion from his well-established mainstream country path. "I never plan that far ahead," he laughs.

With Passing Through, country music icon Randy Travis keeps his artistic legacy moving forward. No other Randy Travis album cuts this deep and wide -- and that, given the struggles of his past and the odds he has beaten, makes Passing Through about as strong as any album can be.

When Randy Travis began sharing music from his first gospel album, Inspirational Journey, by playing concerts for congregations, not everyone was convinced that he had the interests of the church at heart.

"We have run into some folks at a couple of different churches who seemed somewhat skeptical, wondering, 'Why are you doing this?'" Travis admits. "But in every case, we've left there feeling like we've made new friends."

Make no mistake - Randy Travis is not getting back to his roots with Worship and Faith, his new collection of 20 gospel and praise songs. For one thing, as one of the most popular, unmistakably country singers ever, he never left his roots. Besides, Randy Travis didn't grow up singing songs like "Shall We Gather at the River?" and "How Great Thou Art," because Randy Travis didn't grow up in church.