Ty Herndon "What Mattered Most" (Epic Records, 1995)
(Produced by Doug Johnson)
Fairly generic neo-traditional Nashville fare... Not bad, but not great. Ty Herndon grew up in Mississippi, but had been orbiting around Nashville for a while before this debut disc came out. In the 1980s was in an early version of the band that became Diamond Rio, but went solo before they broke through, and made his name as a contestant on the TV talent contest, Star Search. Anyway, he sounds okay and the arrangements are fairly vigorous, though while Herndon's voice is nice and deep, the songs a little too perfectly crafted, but not horrendously so. This album is nothing super-special, though, and his cover of Jim Croce's "Don't Mess Around With Jim" is kinda pointless. But for one of those hat-act fellas, this ain't a bad debut.
Ty Herndon "Living In A Moment" (Sony Music, 1996)
(Produced by Doug Johnson)
This follow-up album, however, is super-bland and formulaic. Lifeless, even. That sure didn't take long.
Ty Herndon "Big Hopes" (Epic Records, 1998)
(Produced by Byron Gallimore & Doug Johnson)
A strong, solid release, at least for the slick pop-country field. Actually, some of these songs are really good; the lyrics to "A Man Holdin' On (To A Woman Lettin' Go)" are pretty striking, the sort of material George Jones or Waylon Jennings would have been proud to sing, back in the day. A couple of tracks drag on a little too long, but for the most part this is well-crafted, canny country-pop with a pleasant honkytonk vibe. Worth checking out, if you're looking for modern Nashville material that doesn't go totally overboard on the pop production.
Ty Herndon "Steam" (Epic Records, 1999)
(Produced by Joe Scaife & Jim Cotton)
It's really weird how variable this guy's records are. Here, working with producer Joe Scaife, Herndon teeters back into unlistenably ornate, glossed-out pop, and oversings almost every line. I guess he was in keeping with the too-slick style of the time, but it's a pity since he just sounds corny and overblown, whereas when he sticks to a true country vibe (as on albums 1 and 3), he sounds great. If you prefer traditional-sounding country, avoid this disc like the plague.
Ty Herndon "A Not So Silent Night" (Liquid 8 Records, 2003)
(Produced by Ty Herndon, Waylon Payne & Carl Peoples)
Ty Herndon "Right About Now" (Pyramid Records, 2007)
(Produced by Ty Herndon, Darrell Brown, Dennis Matkosky & Jonathan Yodkin)
Ty Herndon "Journey On" (FUNL, 2010)
(Produced by Ty Herndon, Steve Dady & Wayne Haun)
Ty Herndon "Lies I Told Myself" (FUNL, 2013)
(Produced by Ty Herndon & Paul Compton)
No big surprises on this indie release from '90s Top Forty singer Ty Herndon -- the songs are still bombastic, the production still generic and emotionally artificial. Sounds like he's getting a little long in the tooth, but he can still pull this stuff off. His fans'll be happy to hear him back in a saddle.
Ty Herndon "House On Fire" (BFD Records, 2016)
(Produced by Ty Herndon & Erik Halbig)
Ty Herndon "Got It Covered" (Audium/BFD Records, 2019)
(Produced by Ty Herndon & Erik Halbig)
This includes an "alternative," gender-flipped version of his first big hit, "What Mattered Most," as well as a cover of Carrie Underwood's "So Small." Anita Cochran and Shelly Fairchild both sing duets with Herndon, on "A Man Holding On" and "Half Empty Heart," respectively.
Ty Herndon "Regifted" (BFD Records, 2020)
(Produced by Ty Herndon, Eric Fraley Berdon, Erik Halbig, & Carl Peoples)
A holiday and gospel album packed with predictable standards such as "Little Drummer Boy" and "Silent Night," as well as some original material, such as Herndon's own "A Not So Silent Night" and an opening track called "Orphans Of God." Waylon Payne is a guest performer, singing a duet with Herndon on "O Come, O Come Emmanuel."
Ty Herndon "Jacob" (Pivotal Records, 2022)
(Produced by Ty Herndon, Erik Halbig & Jimmy Thow)
Born in Mississippi and raised in Alabama, country singer Ty Herndon hit the mid-1990s top forty scene looking like a stereotypical prefab "hat act" pretty boy... Though he scored several sizable hits, his career was dogged by controversies and personal problems which included substance abuse issues and a string of legal problems. Immediately after his first album came out, Herndon was arrested as part of a sting operation targeting a gay bar in Fort Worth. Remarkably, his Nashville record label stuck by him and he continued to be a successful chart artist through the rest of the decade, scoring three #1 hits and a few others in the Top Five. About twenty years after his arrest in Texas, Herndon finally came out of the closet and is considered to be the first major male country artist to affirm his gay identity. Many of his struggles were later recounted in his 2026 autobiography, What Mattered Most, named after his first big hit (a song he later re-recorded with new, gender-flipped pronouns ...) Here's a quick look at his career...
Ty Herndon "This Is Ty Herndon: Greatest Hits" (Epic Records, 2002)
