Editing Randy Travis (section)

===1988{{ndash}}1990: ''Old 8×10'' and ''No Holdin' Back''===
Travis continued to tour throughout the United States in 1988, including a spot on the [[Marlboro]] Country Music Tour in [[Madison Square Garden]], which also featured Alabama, [[the Judds]], and [[George Strait]].{{Sfn|Cusic|1990|page=150}} That same year he released his third Warner album, ''[[Old 8×10]]''.<ref name="allmusic"/> The album was originally slated to be released on July 12, but was moved up to June 30 to make it eligible for CMA Awards.{{Sfn|Cusic|1990|page=152}} The first three singles off the album all went to number one on the country charts between 1988 and early 1989. These were "[[Honky Tonk Moon]]", "[[Deeper Than the Holler]]" (another Overstreet-Schlitz collaboration), and "[[Is It Still Over?]]"{{sfn|Whitburn|2017|pages=365, 366}} The fourth and final single, "[[Promises (Randy Travis song)|Promises]]" (which Travis wrote with John Lindley), was much less successful with a number 17 peak on Hot Country Songs.{{sfn|Whitburn|2017|pages=365, 366}} Music journalists Tom Roland and [[Colin Larkin]] both attributed the song's failure to it featuring just vocals and acoustic guitar.{{sfn|Roland|1991|pages=569, 570}}<ref name="virgin"/> ''Old 8×10'' became his third consecutive album to reach the number one position on Top Country Albums.<ref name="Country Albums">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/randy-travis/chart-history/clp/|title=Randy Travis Album & Song Chart History - Country Albums|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|publisher=[[Prometheus Global Media]]|access-date=July 8, 2011}}</ref> It also won Travis a Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance.<ref name="grammy"/> "I Told You So" received a Single of the Year nomination from the Academy of Country Music, while Travis himself was nominated as both Entertainer of the Year and Top Male Vocalist in 1988 and 1989.<ref name="acm"/> Also in 1988, the Country Music Association awarded him as Male Vocalist of the Year a second time, along with an Entertainer of the Year nomination, as well as Single and Song of the Year nominations for "I Told You So".<ref name="cma"/> The foundation also nominated ''Old 8×10'' for Album of the Year alongside additional Male Vocalist and Entertainer of the Year nominations.<ref name="cma"/> Reviewing the album for AllMusic, [[Brian Mansfield]] stated that it "lacks the monster hits of his debut but wears just as well."<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/old-8x10-mw0000199952 | title=''Old 8×10'' | publisher=AllMusic | accessdate=January 19, 2024 | author=Brian Mansfield}}</ref> In 1997, ''Old 8×10'' received its highest certification of double-platinum.<ref name="riaa"/>

[[File:Brook Benton 1959.jpg|thumb|right|Travis had a hit single in 1989 with a cover of "It's Just a Matter of Time", originally by Brook Benton (pictured in 1959).|alt=A black-and-white headshot of Brook Benton]]

Travis ended 1989 with two studio albums. First was a Christmas album titled ''[[An Old Time Christmas]]'', which included the previously-released Christmas single "White Christmas Makes Me Blue". The other tracks included a mix of Christmas standards and original songs, one of which ("How Do I Wrap My Heart Up for Christmas") Travis co-wrote with Overstreet.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/an-old-time-christmas-mw0000201809 | title=''An Old Time Christmas'' | publisher=AllMusic | accessdate=January 18, 2024}}</ref> A month later was the studio release ''[[No Holdin' Back]]''. Prior to the album's release, Travis had recorded a cover of [[Brook Benton]]'s "[[It's Just a Matter of Time (song)|It's Just a Matter of Time]]" with producer [[Richard Perry]] for a covers album titled ''Rock, Rhythm & Blues''. Because he liked the sound of the recording, he chose to include it on ''No Holdin' Back'' as the album's first single. The rendition reached number one on the country charts in December 1989.{{sfn|Roland|1991|pages=569-570}} At the [[32nd Annual Grammy Awards]], this rendition was nominated for Best Male Country Vocal Performance.<ref name="grammy"/> After the "It's Just a Matter of Time" cover came "[[Hard Rock Bottom of Your Heart]]". Written by [[Hugh Prestwood]], the song held the number one position on ''Billboard'' Hot Country Songs for four weeks, accounting for Travis's longest stay at that position.{{sfn|Whitburn|2017|pages=365, 366}}<ref name="allmusic"/> The third and final single from ''No Holdin' Back'' was "[[He Walked on Water]]", which peaked at number two.{{sfn|Whitburn|2017|pages=365, 366}} The song was the first successful cut for songwriter [[Allen Shamblin]].<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/112515296/ | title=Writer uses nostalgia for Travis hit | work=The Tennessean | date=June 15, 1990 | access-date=April 15, 2021 | author=Thomas Goldsmith | page=1D}}</ref> Also included on ''No Holdin' Back'' were a cover of [[Marty Robbins]]' "[[Singing the Blues]]" and the track "[[Somewhere in My Broken Heart]]", later a single for its co-writer [[Billy Dean]].{{sfn|Whitburn|2017|page=105}}<ref name="holdin">{{cite web | url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/no-holdin-back-mw0000202071 | title=''No Holdin' Back'' | publisher=AllMusic | accessdate=January 18, 2024 | author=Thom Jurek}}</ref> Thom Jurek's review for AllMusic praised Travis's vocal deliveries on "It's Just a Matter of Time" and "Hard Rock Bottom of Your Heart" while also calling Lehning's production "flawless".<ref name="holdin"/> In a review for ''[[Cash Box]]'' magazine, Kimmy Wix described "He Walked on Water" as having "detailed lyrics to which we can all relate" and thought the song was well suited for Travis's voice.<ref name="cashbox">{{cite journal | url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/90s/1990/CB-1990-05-12.pdf | title=Reviews | author=Kimmy Wix | journal=Cash Box | page=24 | date=May 12, 1990}}</ref>