Trailblazing country music artist Ty Herndon is opening his heart like never before with the release of his memoir, What Mattered Most (On Sale: March 31, 2026; Dey Street Books). In this candid and inspiring book, Herndon pulls back the curtain on his unprecedented career—one marked by triumphs in the spotlight and battles behind the scenes.
With unflinching honesty, he shares his struggles with addiction and mental health, the groundbreaking decision to become the first openly gay male country superstar, and the resilience it took to endure more than three decades in the music industry. Woven throughout are moments of his trademark humor, warmth, and hard-earned wisdom, offering readers a story not just about survival, but about choosing hope, authenticity, and love against all odds.
“Writing What Mattered Most has been one of the most vulnerable and rewarding experiences of my life,” said Herndon. “This book is my truth—the highs, the heartbreaks, the lessons, and the love that have shaped me as a man, an artist, and a survivor. My hope is that in telling my story, others will find the courage to embrace theirs, no matter how messy or beautiful it may be.”
Herndon’s career began at the Opryland theme park as a member of The Tennessee River Boys, the group that would later evolve into hitmakers Diamond Rio. After signing with Epic Records, Herndon skyrocketed to solo fame in 1995 with the chart-topping single “What Mattered Most,” the first of his seventeen Billboard charting hits. Yet behind the scenes, his life was no fairy tale.
Confronting addiction, mental health struggles, and the weight of hiding his true self in a traditionally conservative industry, Herndon’s journey was anything but easy. His path wound through an arrest, marriages, lawsuits, secret relationships, and a devastating relapse in 2020. The breaking point came on New Year’s Day 2021, when he nearly ended his life—a moment that led to intensive rehab and, at last, the chance to confront and release the traumas that had haunted him for decades.
Out of those darkest hours emerged a renewed sense of purpose, first expressed in his most personal song, “God or the Gun,” and now revealed with uncompromising honesty and depth in his memoir. In these pages, Herndon offers not only a window into his private battles, but also a story of resilience, redemption, and the hard-won healing that comes from choosing to live—and to live authentically.
“For thirty years, I’ve told pieces of my story through my music and my words — but this book has given me the chance to tell the whole truth,” said Herndon. “This book isn’t just about the music; it’s about the journey, the struggles, the faith, and the people who shaped my life. I hope readers walk away knowing that no matter where you’ve been, you can still write a new chapter — and that’s what matters most.”
More than a memoir, What Mattered Most is a testament to survival and transformation. Herndon lays bare the trials that shaped his life and the strength he discovered in moving through them. By sharing his path with openness, he offers readers a story meant to connect, encourage, and light the way for anyone seeking renewal in their own lives.
“This book is my heart on the page. This book is about the boy I was, the man I became, and the grace that carried me through it all. I hope my story reminds someone out there that they’re never alone — and that there’s always a way forward. Life has a way of knocking you down, but it also gives you a million reasons to get back up,” said Herndon. “What Mattered Most is my story of falling, rising, and finding purpose in the journey. If this book inspires even one person to keep going, then I’ve done my job.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
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” turns thirty in 2025. Between 1995 and 2002, Herndon charted 17 singles, including his three number ones and seventeen top 10 hits, such as “I Want My Goodbye Back,” “Loved Too Much,” “A Man Holding On,” 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.”
Ty continued to break new ground throughout the next decade, releasing a Greatest Hits collection, as well as the albums "Right About Now," "Lies I Told Myself" and the Grammy-nominated "Journey On." In 2015 he became the first major male country music artist to come out as gay, released the critically acclaimed albums "House on Fire" and "Got It Covered" and launched the annual Concert For Love & Acceptance.
Ty began a triumphant comeback in 2020 with the release of “Orphans of God,” a duet with Kristin Chenoweth that peaked at number one on the iTunes charts. That was quickly followed by the release of JACOB and JACOB (Deluxe Edition) in 2022 and 2023 respectively, 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 7 weeks atop the independent country radio charts, becoming the number one independent country single of 2023.
Grammy-nominated and Dove Award winning, Ty’s voice is stronger than ever, and he’s using it to make a difference. In 2020, he created the Foundation For Love & Acceptance to further his work on behalf of mental health, addiction and trauma recovery, and building a more inclusive country music community.
Ty is currently at work on a career retrospective double album, appropriately titled THIRTY, featuring his biggest hits — and a few misses that should have been hits!—and will include collaborations with a diverse array of fellow artists including LeAnn Rimes, Ashley McBryde, Kristin Chenoweth, Michael Ray, and many more.
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