Ty Herndon

Ty Herndon has lived a life and career of extreme highs and lows and celebrates a critical milestone in country music as his record-breaking debut single, “What Mattered Most,” turned 30 in 2025. Between 1995 and 2002, Herndon charted 17 singles, including his three No. 1s and 17 top 10 hits, such as “I Want My Goodbye Back,” “Loved Too Much,” “A Man Holdin' On (to a Woman Lettin' Go)” and “Hands of a Working Man.” He topped the charts in 1996 with the single “Living in a Moment” and again in 1998 with “It Must Be Love.”
In 2014, Ty made country music history when he became the first major male artist to come out as gay. In the following years, he founded the Concert for Love + Acceptance, as well as his own Foundation, For Love + Acceptance, to provide support for mental health and recovery services, plus a more inclusive country music landscape for artists and fans alike. He also released two critically acclaimed albums, "House on Fire" and "Got It Covered."
Ty began a triumphant comeback in 2020 with the release of “Orphans of God,” a duet with Kristin Chenoweth that peaked at No. 1 on the iTunes charts. That was quickly followed by the release of "Jacob and Jacob" (Deluxe Edition), for the first time bringing his full journey from darkness to light and back again to his music. The album touched on highly personal themes ranging from addiction, recovery and mental fitness to lost love, self-discovery and personal freedom. It spawned the country radio hits “Till You Get There” and “Dents on a Chevy,” a duet with Terri Clark that spent seven weeks atop the independent country radio charts, becoming the No. 1 independent country single of 2023.
In 2025, he released the first of a double album career retrospective entitled "Thirty," featuring guest collaborators on some of his biggest hits and fan favorites from more than three decades in the spotlight and on the charts. His memoir, "What Mattered Most," was released on March 31, 2026, and is available everywhere now.