Country singer-songwriter Ty Herndon surprised fans on Thursday (Feb. 9) by praising God for his engagement to a partner named Alex. Per the "What Mattered Most" hit-maker's Instagram post, the couple met six months ago. It was the first time Herndon has gone public about the relationship.
"It was important to each of us that we be able to do this privately, and it has been an amazing journey," Herndon wrote in the caption. "After all this time, I have met the person I know I'm gonna spend the rest of my life with. Alex is a brilliant artist and craftsman who restores mid-century furniture and makes stained glass art. He will also be starting work on his MBA soon. He's a smartie, y'all — and I can't wait for all of you to get to know him. Today, we are excited to let you know that we are planning a wedding! That's right — we're getting hitched later this year! Here's to life, love and wellness! We'll see y'all soon."
This text accompanied three photos of the happy couple.
Herndon came out as gay in 2014— a time when that was a rare move for someone who'd experienced mainstream country success. The news encouraged former child star Billy Gilman to follow suit. Herndon also found inspiration from a country artist, with Chely Wright's coming out in 2010 giving him the courage to live his truth.
"Nine years ago she came out and it was shocking to the country community," Herndon said (as quoted by Wide Open Country in 2019). "I know she went through some really tough times with it. She paved the way for people like me and up and comers like Brandon Stansell and a few others that have entered this business as a gay artist."
In 2021, Herndon separated from Matt Collum, his boyfriend of 11 years.
