Country singer Ty Herndon faced his demons while writing his forthcoming book, What Mattered Most: A Memoir. It drops on Tuesday, March 31. Per People, it covers the many storms the 63-year-old has weathered, such as suicide attempts, substance abuse, spiritual conflicts, and sexual assault. It seems like the process of getting it down on paper was cathartic and freeing for Herndon. Per the outlet, he said, "I can finally breathe. But there's still a slight bit of congestion right above my heart going, 'I hope that they love it.'"
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Herndon Was Told in Childhood That Being Gay Was "Ungodly"
When he was just a kid, Herndon was told by a preacher that homosexuality was "ungodly." At 10 years old, he could barely process that harsh judgment. The troubling incident was the start of the singer's ambivalence about his sexuality. Per the outlet, he would date women publicly but have relationships with men that he kept under wraps. It was not until 2014 that Ty Herndon came out.
Today He Is Happily Married
Ty Herndon has a husband, Alex Schwartz. They enjoy a life of typical domesticity. He said, "I got a house payment, a husband, a dog, maybe a baby next year. We got car payments, insurance. We are pretty normal."
Looking back on all the ways he tried to camouflage being gay with immersion in "pornography, love, and sex," Herndon now marvels at his behavior. "It's astounding to me that I put so much energy in just trying to find the answer to be happy."
Herndon Regrets Hurting the Women Who Were Once in His Life
He was formerly wed to a woman, Renee Posey. "I always wanted to fall in love, even with the people that I only knew for a second, because I wanted them to love me. And that's the crazy part about it all," Herndon admitted to the outlet.
He says now that he did care about the women he was involved with long ago. "And I knew that they truly loved me. One of the top three hardest parts was reliving the pain that I caused them."
It appears that the singer wants to make amends for some of his past actions. "Whether you're in my life or not anymore, how I affected your hometown — which I call you — I'm sorry if I left wreckage there, and I know I did."
