No one has a perfect past, and it's frankly not fair to expect perfection from people. And that applies to your favorite singers, too. At the end of the day, they're people too, right?
And the images that a lot of celebrities like to put up tend to be garden walls to their actual personalities. But Ty Herndon has given us a breath of fresh air by opening up about a more troubling time in his life.
As reported by Taste of Country, he revealed that his early career was marred by something no one wants to experience—getting arrested. He explained in an interview with Evan Paul that navigating trauma is no easy feat.
He explained, "You have to dig these rooms out and hopefully you have the courage to open them. It's not like taking a cleaning crew in there. You gotta go in there yourself."
And that's what he did when writing his memoir, What Mattered Most. That's a pretty poignant title if I've ever seen one - facing things head-on. In case you're not aware, the title is also the name of his debut chart-topping single back in 1995.
But one thing he just straight refused to remember for many years was what happened after - some gnarly charges. You might remember the headlines and what happened yourself.
Videos by Wide Open Country
Ty Herndon Got Arrested on Indecent Exposure and Drug-Related Charges
After getting arrested for indecent exposure and drug charges, things got big fast, even though he went into rehab of his own accord. In his words, "I went straight out of [rehab] treatment into over 100 [tour] dates that year." That doesn't sound healthy at all, right?
And all that pressure had a pretty big effect on his well-being. He explained that a move from treatment into a quiet life would have been much better for him, but he didn't get the privilege because of his stardom.
His memoir is extra refreshing because he holds himself accountable - he defines it as a redemption arc for himself. He doesn't abridge or cut things out; it's just pure hard feelings from a man who had a hard time because of the meat grinder that is the music industry.
And, you know what? More power to you, Ty!
