Gay country singer “is amazed at how far we have come” – Illinoisnewstoday.com
“For me, it was loud enough to say,’Hey, you’re not broken,’ at an event like this,” Herndon explains. “And you can come to town and you can be a superstar, but you have to do one thing: you don’t have to worry about your sexuality. .. Whatever you want to be, just educate yourself and who are you? ”That’s the message you want to hear as a kid. And (I) have the opportunity to do it today. “
This year’s livestreaming show is the result of some major advances in inclusion in country music. In February, Brothers Osborne’s TJ Osborne made a leap forward as the first country star to appear at the height of his fame. Meanwhile, artists such as Lily-Rose and Brooke Eden are one of a new class of artists who take pride in starting their careers while on the go.
“They came to town, and they knew who they were, and their voice, their talents went to the top,” Herndon said of Rose and Eden. increase. “I’ve been weeping a lot. I’m amazed at how far we’ve come and where we should be. That’s great.”
The concert on Wednesday will feature all three acts, including Gavin DeGraw, Kristin Chenoweth, Sherry Fairchild, Tennil Towns, Cathy Mattia and Michael Ray.
Last week, Trisha Yearwood joined Eden on stage at the Grand Ole Opry, singing a personalized version of “She is in love with a boy” and turning the lyrics to “girl” to celebrate Eden’s recent engagement. it changed.
In 2019, Herndon did the same with one of his songs. He released an alternative version of “What Mattered Most” and finally stepped in front of Mike and sang, “His eyes are blue / his hair is long.”
Today, his house is proudly lined with two ornaments. One for each song version.
“I respect the hell of the original version of the song,” he says. “But I also needed the opportunity to change the ending for myself, and many people I know are sitting at home and singing different pronouns.”
When he thinks about the progress he has made over the last seven years, Herndon sees some clear next steps for Music Row.
“There is no doubt that many of the upcoming artists will win Grammy Awards. They will do great things, but Nashville recognizes the artist’s heart and soul and loves what TJ is doing now. He’s rudely advocating who he is in country music. It’s a matter of music and men, and I love it, so this spaceship is so heading into space. I hope you continue to sail. “