Country music star Randy Travis is offering condolences to his beloved friend and stagehand.
In a Facebook post he shared on July 10, Travis revealed that his former stagehand Thomas Roberts had passed away. “The stage has gone dim with the passing of Thom Roberts,” Travis wrote.
“For many years, the Randy Travis band and crew had the opportunity to share the winding roads and the beautiful venues with one of the very best stage lighting technicians in the business. Thom not only had a magical sense about lighting a stage, but he had a quiet, charismatic presence that ignited your soul. Always willing, with a ‘can do’ and ‘happy to do it’ attitude.”
As Travis continued, he wrote that Thom “was a gentle giant of a man that wore a constant smile on his face and carried a song in his heart. One would search a lifetime to find a kinder, gentler spirit.”
A former stagehand for country star Randy Travis was allegedly shot dead by his wife because she believed he was having an affair, according to authorities. https://t.co/8AixvmHAro
— NBC News (@NBCNews) July 11, 2023
“Thom was my friend and I loved him dearly. As we go back out next week, for the “More Life” tour of Randy Travis, the music will not be near as sweet; but, I will once again be reminded of the blessing I was given to have Thom Roberts on the road with us for so many miles, and so many memories.”
“It certainly won’t be the same; and, I know I speak for the entire band and crew when I say the light that he truly created, in our hearts, will never be extinguished or forgotten,” Travis continued. “Tonight, I will look toward heaven and am sure I will see flashes of Thom’s handiwork in the night sky—letting us know he is home, and all is well.”
Reports reveal that Thomas was shot and killed at the age of 68. Police reports revealed that Roberts was shot by his wife, Christine Ann Roberts, 72.
A longtime stagehand for country star Randy Travis was gunned down by his wife, “who said that she shot her husband because he had cheated on her."https://t.co/zG2zmRCeqX
— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) July 11, 2023
As the report continues, the bullet entered Thomas’s chest as he was standing on the front porch of their home around 8 p.m. While arresting Christine, she told officers that “she had shot her husband because he had cheated on her.”
It’s unclear if those claims are true or not. A nearby neighbor who heard the gunshots called 911 after seeing Thomas lying on the floor.
Thomas was pronounced dead at the scene. According to Today, he had worked closely with Randy Travis for 20 years as his stagehand until Randy’s stroke in 2013.