Ty Herndon

Infobox Musical artist


Img_size = 150
Name = Ty Herndon
|Img_capt =
Background = solo_singer
Birth_name = Boyd Tyrone Herndon
Born = birth date and age|1962|05|02
Origin = Meridian, Mississippi, USA
Instrument = Vocals
Genre = Country
Occupation = Singer
Years_active = 1995-present
Label = Epic
Riviera
Titan/Pyramid
Associated_acts = Stephanie Bentley
Sons of the Desert
URL = [http://www.tyherndon.com TyHerndon.com]

Ty Herndon (born Boyd Tyrone Herndon, May 2, 1962 in Meridian, Mississippicite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&samples=1&sql=11:fxfoxqqgldke~T1 |title=Ty Herndon biography |accessdate=2008-05-15 |last=Erlewine |first=Stephen Thomas |authorlink=Stephen Thomas Erlewine |work=Allmusic] ) 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.

Three more albums for Epic followed — "Big Hopes" (1998), "Steam" (1999), and "" (20000) — although none matched the success of his first two releases, and he was dropped from Epic. 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) — as well as four additional Top Ten hits.

Biography

Early career

Ty 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. His follow-up single, "I Want My Goodbye Back", 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 then-newcomer Stephanie Bentley) and "In Your Face", the latter of which failed to make Top 40.

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. [cite web |title=Out and About, Gay Country |url=http://outandaboutnewspaper.com/article.php?id=623 |accessdate=2008-05-10] [cite web |title=Pop Matters, Queer Isn't It? |url=http://www.popmatters.com/columns/abernethy/060724.shtml |accessdate=2008-05-10] 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. [ cite web |title=Dallas Observer, Ty Herndon comeback|url=http://www.dallasobserver.com/Issues/1996-08-08/news/news3.html |accessdate=2008-05-10 ]

"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 Diamond Rio later released as a single from their 1998 album "Unbelivable".

"Big Hopes", his third album, followed in 1998. The lead-off single, "A Man Holding On (To a Woman Letting Go)" reached Top 5; 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, with 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.

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 failure to break the Top Ten 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 "". "A Few Short Years" was the only new track released from that album. (The original "This Is Ty Herndon" album did get a limited release in Canada, with all the tracks intact. The artwork is the same as the "This Is Ty Herndon: Greatest Hits" release.)

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 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.

Discography

References

External links

* [http://www.tyherndon.com/ Ty Herndon Official Website]
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