Born in rural northern Maine to a musical family, Travis James Humphrey was raised on a steady diet of Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Chuck Berry, The Eagles, and Creedence Clearwater Revival. Travis achieved national exposure at a young age with the American Boychoir School. During his time with the American Boychoir, he traveled to three countries, 26 states, and shared the staged with Ladysmith Black Mambaazo, John Williams, Pete Seeger, and other world-renowned musicians.
During high school, Travis began listening to Stevie Ray Vaughn and Otis Redding and honing his performance skills with his father’s various bands in the roadhouses and honkytonks of Northern Maine, and he also won “Outstanding Male Vocalist”, at the high school competition level, for the state of Maine five years in a row. Following his high school graduation, the United States Air Force was quick to enlist Travis as a Bandsman and Medic, and Travis was again touring both nationally and internationally as the lead singer / front man / guitarist of the Air Force’s premier country-music band, Silver Wings. While in the service, Travis was introduced to some Jimmy Buffett and Merle Haggard deep-cuts that blew his mind.
His enlistment in the United States Air Force ended after eight years. Since then, he has been apprenticing with Dick Curless (by way of vinyl) and traveling throughout the great state of Maine, up and down the east coast, and as far away as Hawaii and Belize, singing for anyone who will listen.
He has recently opened shows for B.B. King, Ricky Skaggs, Roy Clark, Jason Aldean, Peter Noone (Herman's Hermits), Bill Chinnock, Don Campbell, and Murali Coryell, both as a solo performer and as backing for other musical acts. He was the finale vocalist for a concert tribute to the late Bill Chinnock, and at the 2010 Down East Country Festival he warmed-up the crowd for guitar legend, Johnny Hiland and Nashville hit-maker, Michael Peterson. As of now, 2011 will see Travis opening for Marty Stuart, Andy Griggs, Entrain, and Blackberry Smoke.
His debut solo CD, YELLOW CAT BLUES, was released in August 2002. His second CD, COWGIRL ROMANCE, was released in July of 2006. His latest vocal collaboration with internationally-acclaimed guitarist Johnny Hiland is DIRTY BEAUTIFUL WORLD, and was released in May 2010 on Picker’s Pride Records. All three albums currently enjoy local, national and international sales, as well as radio and internet airplay.
Performance Highlights
~Opening act for B.B. King with Murali Coryell (Portland, Maine)
~Opening act for Ricky Skaggs (Old Orchard Beach, Maine)
~Opening act for Roy Clark (Washington, DC)
~Opening act for Peter Noone of Herman's Hermits (Bangor, Maine)
~Opening act for Micheal Peterson (Machias, Maine)
~Opening act for Johnny Hiland (Machias, Maine)
~Opening act for Jason Aldean with Rick Page and the RoundUps (Laconia, NH)
~Opening act for Bill Chinnock (Springfield, Maine)
~Opening act for Don Campbell (Westbrook/Scarborough, Maine)
~Opening act for Murali Coryell (Portland, Maine)
~Headlining act at LiveStock 2011 (Rangeley, Maine)
~Headlining act at RIBSTOCK since 2003 (Rangeley, Maine)
~Headlining act at Fryeburg Fair 2004 (Fryeburg, Maine)
• Sylvan Theater (Washington, DC)
• Riverfest (Nashville, TN)
• NBC's Today Show (New York, NY)
• Backing vocals for Aretha Franklin
• Backing vocals for John Williams
• Backing vocals for Ladysmith Black Mambazo
• Numerous radio and television appearances
• Thousands of live performances since 1976