Ty Herndon: ‘I’m an out, proud and happy gay man’

Tony R. Phipps/Getty Images Ty Herndon performs at an event in Nashville in 2010. The country singer recently revealed he is gay, calling himself an ‘out, proud and pleased gay man.’

Ty Herndon has announced he is gay.

The country star, best known for a string of hit albums in the 90s, talked about going public with the news in an interview with People magazine published Thursday.

“I’m an out, proud and pleased gay man,” he said.

Herndon, 51, said that he decided to share his report after attending an Anthony Robbins seminar five years ago.

“I realized I had an incredible report that could possibly help someone’s son or daughter or grandchild’s life not be as hard as mine has been,” he said. “Maybe they wouldn’t have to go through as much pain and suffering. It’s time to tell my truth.”

Herndon said he first plotting that he was gay at age 10, and recalled as a young child “sitting in church and horrified that I might be a homosexual.”

“Whatever that word meant, I knew that I probably was one,” he added. “And I know there’s a lot of those kids still out there. Telling my report is an opportunity to help just one of them.”

Mike Coppola/Getty Images Ty Herndon said his goal is for others to learn from his report that ‘they’re not broken, they’re not sinners and they’re perfectly gorgeous.’

The singer started coming out to family members when he was 20, but noted that his mother “probably knew I was gay before I did.”

While Herndon said that his mother worried about how it would impact his career, she “was more concerned about me having a pleased life.”

The star’s journey to happiness in personal life was initially rocky, as he had two failed marriages to women before meeting his current partner. Herndon said he’s worked to make amends for past “mistakes” he’s made in his life.

“I’ve done a lot of work around forgiveness with people that I’ve hurt and people I’ve not been honest with because of my sexuality,” he said.

He said that his goal is for others who dread coming out to learn from his report that “they’re not broken, they’re not sinners and they’re perfectly gorgeous.”

“I’m a gay man,” Herndon avowed. “I’m looking forward to living the rest of my life validly and pleased.”