James Dupré | Performance Studio
Sep 30, 2025, 7:42 PM | Updated: Oct 1, 2025, 9:16 am
James Dupré – fresh off of his More Life Tour stop in Denver with Randy Travis the night prior – stopped by KYGO’s Performance Studio to sing “Ring On The Bar” off of his most recent album, “It’s All Happening”; “Better Class of Losers,” a collaboration between Travis and Alan Jackson released in 1991; and Creedence Clearwater Revival’s 1970 hit, “Who’ll Stop the Rain.”
Hailing from Bayou Chicot, Louisiana, Dupré initially pursued meteorology and later became a paramedic – his career path took a major turn when his YouTube channel devoted to music spiked in popularity in 2007. This subsequently led him to sign a record deal with Warner Music Nashville in 2011 and make music his full-time career.
Soon after, the Louisianian ventured into acting, where on the set of his first movie, “The Price,” he met country music legend Travis, who played Dupré’s character’s father in the film.
What came next would define both men’s trajectory for the next several years.
A few months after the entirety of the movie was shot, Travis suffered a major stroke after being hospitalized for presumptive cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure. The stroke affected a large portion of the left side of his brain, severely limiting his ability to read, speak, sing or write.
Dupré recounted that Travis’s wife, Mary, called him in 2019 to propose what would eventually become the The Music of Randy Travis and More Life Tours. Although he could no longer sing, Travis wanted his music out in the world and missed being out on the road. The solution? Dupré would be Travis’ voice and sing his songs, while Travis would sit on stage alongside his wife.
The “Ring On The Bar” singer has been touring with Travis ever since, acting as the frontman to Travis’ original band. The More Life Tour will conclude in April 2026 with a show in Georgetown, Texas.
