New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Today, Grammy-nominated country singer/songwriter Ty Herndon released his highly anticipated album Got It Covered via BFD/The Orchard. The album release is accompanied by a new video for the song "
So Small" - Taste of Country called the track (originally co-written and sung by Carrie Underwood) "arguably the most important song on [Got It Covered]." The video features the youth of The
Rainbow Squad, a Nashville-based group based around providing a safe space and community resources for LGBTQ+ kids.
"It is my true passion to work with LGBTQ kids," Herndon says. "I have the honor of working with some of the best organizations in the country, and we all share a determination to see the suicide rate go down with kids. I knew I had to do something special with The
Rainbow Squad, and I wanted to spotlight their amazing hearts and faces. The message in 'So Small' was perfect. The video represents the joy these kids have in their hearts; their stories and challenges are all different, but together the love and strength they share with each other is unbreakable. All of their parents showed up for the video shoot, it was a very loving and emotional day for them. As I hugged one of the moms, she held my face and said 'please tell them to love their kids, no matter what. It's the most important thing you will ever do.'"
Upon the album's release, Ty has also partnered with The Trevor Project, the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ young people under 25. For every follow to his Got it Covered playlist, Ty's foundation - The Concert for Love and
Acceptance - will donate $1 to The Trevor Project (up to $5,000).
Earlier this summer, Herndon released a landmark re-recording of his 1995 single "What Mattered Most" with the pronouns reversed from the original to reflect Ty's true self that fans have come to know since he came out in 2014. Watch the video HERE. The reimagined track and video was widely embraced and featured on Huffpost, People Magazine, NPR's "All Things Considered," Variety, and The Hill among others. With a career spanning two decades, 20 Billboard charted singles and over five million albums sold, Herndon shows no signs of slowing down.
In November of 2014, Ty Herndon was the first major male country artist to publicly come out as gay. Shortly after, he made history when he hosted the first-of-its-kind country music event, titled The Concert for Love and Acceptance. The event, designed to bring attention and support to at-risk youth and acceptance, received national attention from
Boston Globe, Rolling Stone, Entertainment Tonight, and more. Herndon received an outpouring of support that only strengthened his relationship with fans. Since the launch of the event, Herndon has partnered with GLAAD to produce the event each year.
Using his celebrity influence for the better good, GLAAD announced that a grant, named after Herndon, was being offered to support young people for their commitment to enhancing LGBTQ inclusion and representation in music. The recipient of the Ty Herndon Rising Stars Grant receives $2,500 to further fund their work and initiatives. A philanthropist at heart, Herndon has also donated his time to organizations such as the Trevor Project, Make A Wish, St. Jude, GLAAD, HRC and Feed the Children.
One of his most recent acts of giving was lending his vocals on the tribute track, "Hands." The single, released through Interscope Records in conjunction with GLAAD, is a musical tribute to the victims of the recent shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida. Herndon was among a star-studded list of artists, including Mary J. Blige, Jason Derulo,
Selena Gomez, Imagine Dragons, Jennifer Lopez, Kacey Musgraves, P!nk, RuPaul, Britney Spears, Gwen Stefani,
Meghan Trainor and more, voicing support for the LGBT community in the original song. Proceeds from the track benefit Equality Florida Pulse Victims Fund, the LGBT Community Center of Central Florida, and GLAAD.
Upcoming U.S. Tour Dates:
8/30 - Worcester, MA - Beer Garden Pavilion
8/31 - New York, NY - Joe's Pub
9/01 - Washington, DC - DC Out
9/19 - Los Angeles, CA -
Rockwell Table and Stage
9/21 - Los Angeles, CA - LA LGBT Center 50th Anniversary
Additional tour dates will be announced in the weeks ahead. More info on live performances is available at TyHerndon.com.
