Left: Randy Travis and Thomas Roberts (via Instagram). Right: Christine Ann Roberts (via Nashville Police).
A longtime stagehand to country singer Randy Travis is dead after allegedly being shot by his wife over infidelity allegations.
Christine Ann Roberts, 72, has been charged with criminal homicide for fatally gunning down her husband, 68-year-old Thomas Roberts, at their home in Nashville, Tennessee, police said in a statement. Thomas Roberts had spent years working as a lighting technician for Travis, country artist Vince Gill, and other musicians, according to a former colleague.
Thomas Roberts “died of a single gunshot wound to his chest on the front porch of the residence,” the statement said. Police had responded to an emergency call at around 8:00 p.m. Sunday. There, they “encountered Christine Roberts, who said that she shot her husband because he had cheated on her.”
The statement said that a pistol was recovered at the scene.
Police say that a judicial commissioner set bond for Christine Roberts at $100,000. Davidson County Sheriff’s Office records show that she is in custody and is currently “not eligible for release.”
Travis, an award-winning 2016 Country Music Hall of Fame inductee, posted a tribute to Thomas Roberts on his official Facebook page.
“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.”
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“He was a gentle giant of a man that wore a constant smile on his face and carried a song in his heart,” the post also said. “One would search a lifetime to find a kinder, gentler spirit. Thom was my friend and I loved him dearly.”
Neighbors remembered Thomas Roberts as kind and welcoming, and struggled to reconcile the violent allegations with what they knew of the couple, according to local ABC affiliate WKRN.
“It’s such a dichotomy based on how sweet and wonderful everything is and then this happens, it’s like shocking,” a neighbor, who did not want to be publicly identified, told the station. “I don’t even really know where to put it in my mind, I really don’t.”
The WKRN report also included a statement from colleague Michael Golden, vice president of Bandit Lites, Inc.
“Thom was a talented lighting professional and just as importantly he was a humble, yet extremely genuine man,” the statement said. “I consider Thom one of the ‘old guard’ that transformed the wild west of touring into a respected and professional career. Thom worked for many artists and institutions around the city, but anytime I ever heard his name a smile would cross my face. This city and our music community will miss Thom, but we will all be better because of his reputation and the foundation he helped build.”
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