RANDY TRAVIS CRITICALLY ILL

Randy Travis Critically Ill in Texas

By Jeremy Reynalds
Senior Correspondent for ASSIST News Service
TEXAS (ANS) -- Country singer Randy Travis is hospitalized in critical condition with a viral heart infection, his publicist said Monday.

Randy Travis via CNN

According to a story by Alan Duke for CNN, Travis, 54, was admitted to an unidentified Texas hospital on Sunday because of complications related to his "recently acquired viral cardiomyopathy," Travis spokesman Kirt Webster said in a written statement.CNN said Travis had recently been on the road, performing in Detroit on June 28 and Chicago on June 29. He was set to do a show in Deadwood, South Dakota, on Wednesday.
He appeared well during business meetings on Friday and Saturday, CNN reported Webster said. "Then on Sunday, it hit him."
Viral cardiomyopathy is a disorder where a virus attacks the muscles of the heart, causing the heart to beat slower, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's website. In some cases, it said, the heart can stop.
"Viral cardiomyopathy can be caused by 30-plus different viruses, but it's almost impossible to pinpoint which virus it is," said Dr. Ramin Oskoui, a cardiologist and internal medicine specialist in Washington.
CNN said he added, "Hosp itals use viral cardiomyopathy as a 'catch all' diagnosis."
Travis had a tough year in 2012 with arrests for assault and public intoxication, which earned him probation.
"To say that Mr. Travis' alcohol use exacerbated his problems would be pure speculation, but if someone told me alcohol played a role in his cardiac problems, I wouldn't be surprised," CNN reported Oskoui said.
CNN said Travis was at the forefront of the "New Traditionalist" movement in the 1980s and 1990s, but he faded as the '90s continued.
CNN said Travis made a comeback after turning to gospel music in 1999. His song "Three Wooden Crosses" won song of the year in 2003 from both the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.
As one of country music's top-selling artists, Travis has won seven Grammys, 10 Academy of Country Music awards and 10 American Music Award statuettes.