PEOPLE Every Day Podcast Exclusive: Ty Herndon Recalls His Mother Buying Him a Coffin After He Relapsed on Crystal Meth: 'She'd Paid for My Funeral'

Ty Herndon wants to make a comeback in Nashville. Another one. "It's possible," says CMT host and critic Cody Alan, who's heard Herndon's new album, Jacob, out July 15. He says Nashville is a more forgiving town these days — especially if you've got a good song. "I've always thought that a great three minutes can save anybody."

Herndon, now 60, needs a little bit of saving. Over the 27 years since his debut album — which spawned five No. 1s — he's bounced in and out of Nashville, on and off the charts, and in and out of rehab. He's married two women, one man, has come out of the closet, relapsed three times, and has battled crystal meth addiction for the better part of three decades. Along the way, he's become a cautionary tale. The Ty Herndon story, the way it's told in Nashville, is almost apocryphal. The morning of my interview with Herndon, I told someone in my Nashville hotel I was interviewing him. "Oh, gosh, Ty Herndon. Man, what a voice. Such a shame. I thought he died." (Google asks the same question, actually.)

“'Till You Get There,” the first single from Ty Herndon’s forthcoming album JACOB, ships to radio

“Till You Get There,” the first single from groundbreaking Grammy-nominated and Dove Award-winning country artist Ty Herndon’s forthcoming album JACOB, shipped to country radio today and is now available for streaming and download here: https://vydia.lnk.to/TillYouGetThere

“This song is about the trials and tribulations we all face in life — both big and small — that can seem so overwhelming and discouraging when they’re happening. But I believe everything happens just the way God intends, and we don’t always know what all those bumps along our journeys mean until we reach the end. I wanted to kick off this album with a fun, uplifting, and inspiring song that we can all relate to, and I think we nailed it,” said Herndon, who co-wrote the track with Jamie Floyd, Erik Halbig, and Jimmy Thow. Thow also serves as the track’s producer.

Praise for the single was swift and certain from CMT’s Cody Alan, who proclaimed, “This isn’t just a comeback song for Ty Herndon—this is EVERYONE’S comeback song! Every country fan can relate to these lyrics. Perfectly written for 2022!”
“Till You Get There” kicks off Herndon’s first album of all-new music since 2016’s House On Fire. Due out July 15, JACOB is the culmination of a life of hard-fought struggles and hard-won triumphs. Herndon's most personal album to date invites listeners to go with him from darkness to light – a trip he has taken in both directions. As he chronicles new parts of his life never before shared, the music plots a path to where Herndon finds himself today — a destination marked by recovery, inner strength, and peace. With each song based on experiences from his own life — part country, part rock, part gospel – but all Ty Herndon – the country luminary has captured the pain, sorrow, and redemption that are universal to the human experience.

Released in partnership with Pivotal Records, a division of Pivotal Moments Media, JACOB, is an 11-track musical experience that discloses vulnerable truths. Herndon derived the album title from the Biblical Old Testament figure, Jacob, who dealt with severe challenges and mistakes before rising to become a leader of his tribe.

The album will be accompanied by the release of a new, ten-episode podcast hosted by Herndon in Partnership with Pivotal Moments Media and featuring conversations with high-profile artists discussing their struggles and wins along their mental fitness journeys. The series is designed to mirror the themes of JACOB and will be launched in June.

Herndon burst onto the scene and made his chart debut in 1995 with "What Mattered Most," which became his first No. 1 song and garnered a Song of the Year award (Music Row Magazine). It was also the title track to his first album, which debuted on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart and had the biggest first-week shipment in the history of Epic Records Nashville.

Between 1995 and 2002, Herndon charted 17 singles, including his three No.1s and numerous 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."

In 2014, Herndon became the first major male country artist to publicly come out as gay in an exclusive with People magazine. He received an outpouring of support that only strengthened his relationship with fans and the country music community, expanding his reach to new and diverse audiences. Shortly after, he made history when he hosted a first-of-its-kind country music event, The Concert for Love and Acceptance, now an annual event that provides a stage for LGBTQ and allied artists. In 2020, he created the Foundation for Love & Acceptance to further his work on behalf of LGBTQ youth.

Ty Herndon’s Most Personal Project Yet, JACOB, Due Out July 15

Groundbreaking Grammy nominated and Dove Award winning country artist Ty Herndon today announced the release date of his long-awaited forthcoming album JACOB. Due out July 15, JACOB is the culmination of a life of hard-fought struggles and hard-won triumphs. His most personal album to date, Herndon invites listeners to go with him from darkness to light – a trip he has taken in both directions. As he chronicles new parts of his life never before shared, the music plots a path to where Herndon finds himself today — a destination marked by recovery, inner strength and peace. With each song based on experiences from his own life — part country, part rock, part gospel – but all Ty Herndon – the country luminary has captured the pain, sorrow, and redemption that are universal to the human experience.

Released in partnership with Pivotal Records, a division of Pivotal Moments Media, JACOB, is an 11-track musical experience that discloses vulnerable truths. Herndon derived the album title from the Biblical Old Testament figure, Jacob, who dealt with severe challenges and mistakes before rising to become a leader of his tribe.

"This album is about the power we all have to change our endings. The last two years have been a journey like none other for me, and I'm looking forward to sharing some new truths with listeners and reminding them that we have it within us to turn our greatest challenges into our greatest triumphs," said Herndon. “Besides that, it’s just some damn good music.”

The album will be accompanied by the release of a new, ten-episode podcast hosted by Herndon in Partnership with Pivotal Moments Media and featuring conversations with high-profile artists discussing their struggles and wins along their mental fitness journeys. The series is designed to mirror the themes of JACOB and will be launched in June.

Herndon burst onto the scene and made his chart debut in 1995 with "What Mattered Most," which became his first No. 1 song and garnered a Song of the Year award (Music Row Magazine). It was also the title track to his first album, which debuted on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart and had the biggest first-week shipment in the history of Epic Records Nashville.

Between 1995 and 2002, Herndon charted 17 singles, including his three No.1s and numerous 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."
In 2014, Herndon became the first major male country artist to publicly come out as gay in an exclusive with People magazine. He received an outpouring of support that only strengthened his relationship with fans and the country music community, expanding his reach to new and diverse audiences. Shortly after, he made history when he hosted a first-of-its-kind country music event, The Concert for Love and Acceptance, now an annual event that provides a stage for LGBTQ and allied artists. In 2020, he created the Foundation For Love & Acceptance to further his work on behalf of LGBTQ youth.

Ty Herndon Inks Multi-Project Deal with Pivotal Moments Media

Multi-platinum country music recording artist Ty Herndon and Pivotal Moments Media (PMM) have announced a new partnership that will span three projects, including the release of Herndon’s long-awaited new album, JACOB, set to be released this spring. In addition, Herndon will become an ambassador for PMM and is set to launch a ten-episode podcast, entitled SOUNDBOARD, to accompany the album’s release.

“My new album has been more than a year in the making, and it’s my most personal and revealing to date. It will take listeners on the journey of my life — the ups, the downs, the struggles, the triumphs — and I hope, help others talk about the hard stuff, the stuff that can make or break us. We all have an opportunity to change our ending, and that’s what this album is about,” said Herndon.

"We are thrilled to welcome Ty's voice to the power of Pivotal Moments Media and the work we are doing to bring conversations about mental health and well-being to the mainstream," said Bob Morgan, founder, and CEO of PMM. "Ty's journey is a unique one that deserves to be heard and shared, and I know it will resonate with people from all walks of life who struggle with mental health, addiction, and the common trials and tribulations that stand in the way of happiness and healthiness. He has a lot to share, and we are proud to partner with him to do it."

Between 1995 and 2002, Herndon charted 17 singles, including his three No.1s and numerous 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."

In 2014, Herndon became the first major male country artist to publicly come out as gay in an exclusive with People magazine. He received an outpouring of support that only strengthened his relationship with fans and the country music community, all while expanding his reach to new and diverse audiences. Shortly after, he made history when he hosted a first-of-its-kind country music event, The Concert for Love and Acceptance, now an annual event that provides a stage for LGBTQ and allied artists. In 2020, he created the Foundation For Love & Acceptance to further his work on behalf of LGBTQ acceptance.

Herndon found himself back at No. 1 in 2020 — this time on iTunes with his remake of "Orphans of God," a collaboration with Kristin Chenoweth and Paul Cardall featured on his holiday release, Regifted. He is currently working on a new album, JACOB, his first of all-new music since 2016's House On Fire.