Randy Travis, a singer who had a stroke in 2013 and lost much of his ability to speak, used artificial intelligence (AI) technology to recreate his voice for a new song. It’s his first recording in over ten years.
Travis worked with his longtime producer, Kyle Lehning, his wife Mary, and Cris Lacy from Warner Music Nashville to create the song called “Where That Came From.” They talked about the process with CBS Sunday Morning, and the full story will be on TV on Sunday.
Lehning explained that another singer sang the song first, and then they used AI to make it sound like Travis. But they haven’t said who that singer is.
“It’s not about how it sounds. It’s about how it feels,” Lehning said. “Him being here and him being able to be, you know, a vital part of the decision-making process makes all the difference to me.”
The song “Where That Came From” was written by John Scott Sherrill and Scotty Emerick. Emerick released it last year on his EP.
Since his stroke, Travis has released two albums of old country songs, and sometimes he sings a bit at concerts. This new song is one of the first to use AI to recreate a singer’s voice.
Many people in the music industry think AI could be helpful for making music, but they want rules to protect artists. FKA Twigs, another singer signed with Warner, talked to the government about using AI to interact with fans.
But sometimes AI is used without the artist’s permission. Last year, a person called “Ghostwriter” made a song with AI singing like Drake and The Weeknd. Drake later made a song with AI singing like Tupac, but Tupac’s family didn’t like it and made Drake stop.
Travis’s new song raises questions about who gets credit and money for AI music. It’s not clear how the singer who recorded the vocals is listed or paid, or if they needed permission to use Travis’s voice.
Source: Rollingstone
