Boyd Tyrone (Ty) Herndon
(born May 2, 1962 in Meridian, Mississippi [1]) is an American country music singer. Signed to Epic Records in 1995, Herndon made his debut that year with the Number One single "What Mattered Most", followed by the release of his first album, also entitled What Mattered Most
. This album was followed one year later by Living in a Moment
, which produced his second Number One country hit in its title track.
Herndon released three more albums for Epic — Big Hopes
(1998), Steam
(1999), and This Is Ty Herndon: Greatest Hits
(2000) — although none matched the success of his first two releases, and he was dropped from Epic in 2001. He recorded a Christmas album in 2002 for the Riviera label, followed by his fifth studio album (2007's Right About Now
) and a second Christmas compilation for the Titan Pyramid label.
Overall, Herndon has charted a total of seventeen singles on the Billboard
Hot Country Songs charts. This figure includes three Number ones — "What Mattered Most" (1995), "Living in a Moment" (1996), and "It Must Be Love" (1998) — and four additional Top Ten hits.
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TY HERNDON TICKETS
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Biography
Early career
Boyd Tyrone Herndon was born in
Meridian, Mississippi but raised in
Butler, Alabama.
He became involved in music as a teenager, playing the piano and singing
Gospel music. Shortly after graduating high school, Herndon moved to
Nashville to pursue a career in music. This did not prove to be easy, however, and after ten years, he moved to Texas. He gained a loyal following on the Texas honkytonk circuit and in 1993, Herndon won Texas Entertainer of the Year. Later that year, Herndon was signed to
Epic Records.
Herndon made his chart debut in early 1995 with "
What Mattered Most", which went to #1 on the
Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts. This song served as the title track to his
debut album, which was released in April 1995 and became a top 10 country album. The song was added to 133 radio stations' playlists in its first week, breaking a record set by
Tracy Lawrence.
[2] The album itself debuted at #15 on
Top Country Albums and #1 on
Top Heatseekers, the highest debut for a country artist since
Billy Ray Cyrus'
Some Gave All
in 1992.
[3] In addition, it had the biggest first-week shipment in the history of Epic Records' Nashville division.
[4]
"I Want My Goodbye Back", the album's second single, peaked at #7. He won the Best New Artist Award at the 1995 Country Radio Music Awards and received various other nominations throughout the year. The album also produced two more singles: "Heart Half Empty" (a duet with
Stephanie Bentley, who was also signed to Epic at the time) and "In Your Face", the latter of which failed to make Top 40.
What Mattered Most
was certified
gold by the
RIAA.
In July 1995, Herndon was arrested in
Fort Worth, Texas at
Gateway Park by an undercover male police officer who alleged that Herndon was soliciting sex.
[5] [6] It was reported that Herndon exposed himself in front of the officer, although Herndon professed to be urinating. When taken into custody, he was also discovered to be in possession of 2.49 grams of
methamphetamine. A plea-bargain saw the singer sentenced to community service and drug rehabilitation, and the charge of indecent exposure was dropped.
[7]
Living in a Moment
, Big Hopes
and Steam
Herndon's second album,
Living in a Moment
debuted at #6 on the
Top Country Albums charts.
The album's lead-off single, which was its
title track, also reached Number One on the country charts. After this song, he released the #2 "Loved Too Much", the #21 "She Wants to Be Wanted Again" (previously cut by
Western Flyer), and the #17 "I Have to Surrender". This album also included a song called "I Know How the River Feels", which was later released as a single by two other artists: in 1999 by
Diamond Rio from their album
Unbelievable
, and in 2000 by
McAlyster.
Big Hopes
, his third album, followed in 1998. The lead-off single, "A Man Holding On (To a Woman Letting Go)" reached Top 5, while the follow-up single "It Must Be Love" (featuring backing vocals from Doug Virden and Drew Womack, then members of
Sons of the Desert) gave Herndon his third and final Number One. The third single, "Hands of a Working Man", becoming his last Top Five.
In 1999, his fourth studio album,
Steam
, was released. The first single, the title track, was a top 20 hit but did not see the same success as Herndon's other lead singles from his first three albums. "No Mercy" was released next in 2000 and peaked at #26, while two more singles from the album both failed to make Top 40.
Personal issues
By the year 2000 Herndon was no longer being played on radio and by 2002 he had stopped touring. Thus began both a professional and personal downward slide that included a divorce from his second wife, bankruptcy, a weight gain of 75 pounds
[8], an attempted mugging in Los Angeles by three men at gunpoint
[9], a lawsuit from a California dentist claiming that Herndon had not paid for emergency dental work
[10] and another lawsuit from a former manager for breach of contract.
[11] In 2004 he entered a drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility for the second time
[8].
Departure from Epic Records
In 2002, a new single titled "Heather's Wall" was released, peaking at #37 on the country charts. Although it was his highest charting single since "No Mercy" in 2000, its poor chart performance forced Herndon and his record executives to shelve the newly recorded album to which "Heather's Wall" would have served as lead-off single. Instead, Herndon put out a Greatest Hits compilation titled
This Is Ty Herndon: Greatest Hits
. "A Few Short Years" was the only new track released from that album, and after it failed to enter Top 40, Herndon exited Epic's roster.
Herndon released a Christmas album,
A Not So Silent Night,
in 2002 through his fan club and official website. In 2003 the Christmas album was repackaged with additional content and released on the independent label Riviera/Liquid8 Records.
Herndon was then signed to Titan Pyramid Records in 2006. On January 9, 2007, his album
Right About Now
was released
— his first full studio album since 1999's
Steam
.
Right About Now
s title track was the first single released. However, both it and the followup, "Mighty Mighty Love" (previously recorded by
Lila McCann), failed to reach the country charts. A second Christmas album followed later in 2007.
Philanthropy
Herndon has raised money for the
Make-A-Wish Foundation,
St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, the
Special Olympics, and the
Drug Abuse Resistance Education program
[13]. He has also been involved with equine therapy for children.
Discography
Albums
Studio albums
Year
| Album details
| Peak chart positions
| Certifications (sales thresholds)
|
US Country
| US
| US Heat
| US Indie
| CAN Country
|
1995
| What Mattered Most
- Released: April 18, 1995
- Label: Epic Nashville
| 9
| 68
| 1
| —
| 3
|
|
1996
| Living in a Moment
- Released: August 13, 1996
- Label: Epic Nashville
| 6
| 65
| —
| —
| 18
|
|
1998
| Big Hopes
- Released: May 26, 1998
- Label: Epic Nashville
| 22
| 140
| —
| —
| 31
|
|
1999
| Steam
- Released: November 2, 1999
- Label: Epic Nashville
| 14
| 124
| —
| —
| —
|
|
2007
| Right About Now
- Released: January 9, 2007
- Label: Titan Pyramid
| 41
| —
| —
| 24
| —
|
|
"—" denotes the album failed to chart or not released
|
Compilation albums
Year
| Album
| US Country
|
2002
| This Is Ty Herndon: Greatest Hits
- Released: March 26, 2002
- Label: Epic Nashville
| 32
|
Christmas albums
Year
| Album
|
2003
| A Not So Silent Night
- Released: September 23, 2003
- Label: Riviera
|
2007
| A Ty Herndon Christmas
- Released: October 23, 2007
- Label: Titan Pyramid
|
Singles
Year
| Single
| Chart Positions
| Album
|
US Country
| US
| CAN Country
|
1995
| "What Mattered Most"
| 1
| 90
| 1
| What Mattered Most
|
"I Want My Goodbye Back"
| 7
| —
| 9
|
1996
| "Heart Half Empty" (with Stephanie Bentley)
| 21
| —
| 12
|
"In Your Face"
| 63
| —
| 58
|
"Living in a Moment"
| 1
| —
| 1
| Living in a Moment
|
1997
| "She Wants to Be Wanted Again"
| 21
| —
| 19
|
"Loved Too Much"
| 2
| —
| 2
|
"I Have to Surrender"
| 17
| —
| 14
|
1998
| "A Man Holdin' On (To a Woman Letting Go)"
| 5
| 81
| 14
| Big Hopes
|
"It Must Be Love"
| 1
| 38
| 10
|
1999
| "Hands of a Working Man"
| 5
| 47
| 18
|
"Steam"
| 18
| 83
| 19
| Steam
|
2000
| "No Mercy"
| 26
| 92
| 44
|
"A Love Like That"
| 58
| —
| 70
|
2002
| "Heather's Wall"
| 37
| —
| —
| single only
|
"A Few Short Years"
| 55
| —
| —
| This Is Ty Herndon: Greatest Hits
|
2006
| "Right About Now"
| —
| —
| —
| Right About Now
|
2007
| "Mighty Mighty Love"
| —
| —
| —
|
2008
| "Before We Make Love"
| —
| —
| —
| single only
|
"—" denotes the single failed to chart, or not released. Canadian chart positions are unknown from November 2000 to June 2004.
|
Other charted songs
Year
| Single
| US Country
| Album
|
2000
| "You Can Leave Your Hat On"
| 72
| Steam
|
Music videos
Year
| Video
| Director
|
1995
| "What Mattered Most"
| Peter Lippman
|
"I Want My Goodbye Back"
| Steven Goldmann
|
1996
| "Heart Half Empty" (with Stephanie Bentley)
|
|
"Living in a Moment"
| Steven Goldmann
|
1997
| "She Wants to Be Wanted Again"
|
|
"I Have to Surrender"
| Steven Goldmann
|
1998
| "A Man Holding On (To a Woman Lettin' Go)"
|
1999
| "Hands of a Working Man"
| Chris Rogers
|
"Steam"
| Steven Goldmann
|
2000
| "No Mercy"
| Eric Welch
|
2002
| "Heather's Wall"
| Guy Guillet
|
References
- Ty Herndon biography
- Thank God he's a pretty boy
- See more articles from PR+Newswire TY HERNDON CONTINUES STREAK OF FIRSTS; ALBUM DEBUT SETS RECORD AS HOT SHOT DEBUT
- TY HERNDON MAKES MORE HISTORY WITH SINGLE/ALBUM
- Out and About, Gay Country
- Pop Matters, Queer Isn't It?
- Dallas Observer, Ty Herndon comeback
- http://www.gactv.com/gac/ar_artists_a-z/article/0,,GAC_26071_4751639,00.html]
- http://www.countryweekly.com/star_near_death/feature/1255]
- http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-98812720.html]
- http://www.cmt.com/artists/news/1484564/01232004/herndon_ty.jhtml]
- http://www.gactv.com/gac/ar_artists_a-z/article/0,,GAC_26071_4751639,00.html]
- http://countrymusic.about.com/library/crs2007/crsaudio2007/tyherndonint.mp3]