By Alan Duke
(CNN) — Country singer Randy Travis is hospitalized in critical condition with a viral heart infection, his publicist said Monday.
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.
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, the heart can stop, it said.
Travis had a tough year in 2012 with arrests for assault and public intoxication, which earned him a probation sentence.
He was at the forefront of the “New Traditionalist” movement in the 1980s and ’90s, but Travis faded as the ’90s wore on. He 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 artist, Travis owns seven Grammys, 10 Academy of Country Music awards and 10 American Music Award statuettes.
His best known songs also include “Forever and Ever, Amen,” “Diggin’ Up Bones” and “Deeper Than the Holler.”
CNN’s Carolyn Sung, Todd Leopold and Denise Quan contributed to this report.
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