GGN INTERVIEW :: Grammy-nominated country music superstar Ty Herndon first gained national exposure as a contestant on Star Search. But it was in 1995 that he really let the world know he had arrived, making his debut with the #1 country single, ‘What Mattered Most’; his debut album spawned three #1’s.
A string of hit albums and top-ten singles followed, and in 2014 he made headlines when he came out in People magazine as gay, the first mainstream country music singer to do so.
Behind the scenes, life wasn’t always as bright and starry. An arrest for indecent exposure (on the way to a police association event, no less; the charge was later dropped) led to the discovery of crystal meth in his possession. Rehab followed, as part of a plea deal; he was robbed at gunpoint in LA; he was in a sham marriage arranged by his record label; he relapsed into drug and alcohol addiction, which led to depression and weight gain. An attempted suicide, a second try at rehab, and a bipolar diagnosis also came into his life experience. All of it, often overshadowing his admirable soaring career.
Last July, Ty told Page Six he was “inches away” from suicide on New Year’s Eve 2020 after another crystal meth relapse, a “fistful” of Ambien in his hand. Fortunately, although he doesn’t recall doing so, he reached out to a friend, got help, and 20-plus months sober, and says it all feels so different this time around, that he’s in love with himself for the first time in his life – with no more secrets.
Here’s my recent conversation with Ty. We talk about “Medusa” – his addiction to meth; his suicide attempts; how his mother bought and paid for his coffin; and taking his pain and trauma and turning it into art, with his remarkable new album, Jacob:
The songs below are referenced in our interview:
- – Shaun Proulx
