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\nTy Herndon is releasing a new memoir, What Mattered Most, out March 31, 2026″For 30 years, I\u2019ve told pieces of my story through my music and my words \u2014 but this book has given me the chance to tell the whole truth,\u201d says HerndonThe country singer previously opened up to PEOPLE about his struggles with addiction, his suicide attempt and how coming out saved his life<\/p>\n
Ty Herndon<\/a> is ready to share his whole story.\n<\/p>\n Three years ago, the country singer, 63, opened up to PEOPLE about his struggles with addiction, his suicide attempt and how coming out saved his life. Now, he\u2019s going even more in-depth about his life, struggles and triumphs in memoir What Mattered Most<\/a>, coming from Dey Street Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.\n<\/p>\n Named for Herndon\u2019s biggest single, which turns 30 this year, the publisher bills the memoir as a \u201ctestament to survival and transformation.\u201d Herndon, meanwhile, says that while he\u2019s shared \u201cpieces\u201d of his life story in songs and interviews, the memoir (out next March) tells \u201cthe whole truth.\u201d\n<\/p>\n Putting that truth to page along with co-writer David Ritz required a level of vulnerability that Herndon has seldom tapped into, he explains in a statement shared with PEOPLE.\n<\/p>\n “Writing What Mattered Most<\/a> has been one of the most vulnerable and rewarding experiences of my life,\u201d the country singer says in a press release. \u201cThis book is my truth \u2014 the highs, the heartbreaks, the lessons and the love that have shaped me as a man, an artist and a survivor. My hope is that in telling my story, others will find the courage to embrace theirs, no matter how messy or beautiful it may be.\u201d\n<\/p>\n Ty Herndon performing in June 2025.<\/p>\n Michael Hickey\/Getty<\/p>\n In the forthcoming memoir, the \u201cGod or the Gun\u201d<\/a> singer \u201cshares his struggles with addiction and mental health, the groundbreaking decision to become the first openly gay male country superstar and the resilience it took to endure more than three decades in the music industry,\u201d per an official synopsis.\n<\/p>\n \u201cWoven throughout,\u201d the synopsis continues, \u201care moments of his trademark humor, warmth and hard-earned wisdom, offering readers a story not just about survival, but about choosing hope, authenticity and love against all odds.\u201d\n<\/p>\n “For 30 years, I\u2019ve told pieces of my story through my music and my words \u2014 but this book has given me the chance to tell the whole truth,\u201d says Herndon. \u201cThis book isn\u2019t just about the music; it\u2019s about the journey, the struggles, the faith and the people who shaped my life. I hope readers walk away knowing that no matter where you\u2019ve been, you can still write a new chapter \u2014 and that\u2019s what matters most.\u201d\n<\/p>\n \u201cThis book is my heart on the page,” the musician and author adds. “This book is about the boy I was, the man I became and the grace that carried me through it all. I hope my story reminds someone out there that they\u2019re never alone \u2014 and that there\u2019s always a way forward.\u201d\n<\/p>\n The cover of Ty Herndon’s memoir ‘What Mattered Most’.<\/p>\n Dey Street Books<\/p>\n “Life has a way of knocking you down, but it also gives you a million reasons to get back up,\u201d he continues. \u201cWhat Mattered Most is my story of falling, rising and finding purpose in the journey. If this book inspires even one person to keep going, then I\u2019ve done my job.\u201d\n<\/p>\n Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/a> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer\u200b\u200b, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.\n<\/p>\n