When Kacey Musgraves won the Country Music Awards Song of the Year earlier this month for her affirming song Follow Your Arrow, it was startling breath of fresh air in a music genre known for its largely conservative audience. I'm not a huge fan of country music, but this song grabbed me with its lively beat and upbeat message as it obviously did many others whose personal beliefs are likely antithetical to my own. Isn't it wonderful how music can provide such common ground for people.
This song is indeed inspiring. So inspiring, in fact, it provided a motivational push for first one male country music star to come out as gay, followed quickly by another this week.
Make lots of noise
Kiss lots of boys
Or kiss lots of girls
If that's something you're into
When the straight and narrow
Gets a little too straight
Roll up a joint, or don't
Just follow your arrow
Wherever it points, yeah
Follow your arrow
Wherever it points
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Last Thursday, Ty Herndon came out as gay during an interview with ET Online. Ty, who had some major hits during the 90s, paid a high price to keep the fact he was gay hidden from a decidedly unreceptive audience. Even though Herndon married twice, rumors about his sexuality swirled around him. As the pressure of hiding who he was mounted, he descended into drug addiction and was once arrested for exposing himself to an undercover police officer. His life was spiraling out of control before he entered rehab in 2004. Since becoming sober, Ty has reinvigorated has career and had a successful release of his album Lies I Told Myself in 2013.
The title song's last verse gives us some hindsight revelation now that he has come out.
Yeah praying's just a waste of time
So why even start
The good Lord ain't got time for guys like me
Forgiven is something you won't ever be
Some lies I told myself
I'm glad I didn't believe
Oh some lies I told myself
I'm glad I didn't believe
Just as Ty Herndon's voice was fading, another voice had taken the stage. In 2000, at the age of 11, a little boy from Rhode Island named Billy Gilman stunned country music fans with a powerful song that viewed an adult world through a child's eye. It was a prayer for change that was heard.
The song climbed to number two on the Billboard country music charts earning Billy Gilman a place in history. Along with Ty Herndon, he also joined a place in history by coming out last Thursday. Inspired by Ty Herndon's courage, Billy told his fans just hours later that he too, is gay, even as he expressed fear for what such an admission might do to his promising career.
It’s difficult for me to make this video, not because I’m ashamed of being a gay male artist, or a gay artist or a gay person, but it’s pretty silly to know that I’m ashamed of doing this knowing that I’m in a genre and an industry that’s ashamed of me for being me.
In the following two days, social media exploded with positive support for both of these men. Writing this piece, I've read dozens of articles, paying particular attention to the comments they have garnered. For every one nasty remark there were easily fifty comments applauding them for their courage and promising to remain fans. Of course, the real test for their careers won't rest with their fans, it will rest with the power-brokers of the country music industry and these people have not been historically renowned for their tolerance of gay folks.
Whatever happens for Ty Herndon and Billy Gilman, one thing is certain—the genie is out of the bottle even for country music fans. As I said in the introduction, isn't it remarkable, the power of music?
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November 22, 2014
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