American country singer Ty Herndon finally came out in the open to reveal that he is gay.

The 52-year-old singer, whose childhood dream was to become a successful country singer, discussed his sexuality in an interview with Entertainment Tonight, saying he knew since childhood that he is gay.

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He opened his sexuality to his family in his 20s but never felt prepared to go out in public, fearing it would kill his career.

"I went to great lengths to cover up [being gay] to be a country star," he said.

Herndon, who was married to "some really amazing young ladies," claimed his two ex-wives knew he was gay.

He said his mother "probably knew I was gay before I did. I remember sitting down with her and having the conversation," Herndon recalled, noting that his career as a country singer also worried her.

Herndon's career started out bright but he hit some rough patches along the way, at some point ending up in rehab for drug addiction.

In the interview with People, he admitted that he made a lot of mistakes in his life.

"They've been my mistakes, and I own them," he said.

"I've done a lot of work around forgiveness with people that I've hurt and people I've not been honest with because of my sexuality."

Herndon's first single, "What Mattered Most," topped the country charts, setting record for a debut single with the most radio adds and enjoying an impressive sales for his 1995 debut album of the same name.

His debut hit was followed by "Living in a Moment," "A Man Holding On (To a Woman Letting Go)," "It Must Be Love" and "Hands of a Working Man," among several others.

The success of his third album, though, was followed by a career downturn, a second divorce, bankruptcy, two lawsuits and personal struggles.

Then, there's the gay rumors highlighted by his Fort Worth, Texas arrest for drug possession and for exposing himself to an undercover police officer. The charge was eventually dropped.

Herndon eventually moved on and continued with his singing career, releasing two holiday LPs and a Grammy-nominated contemporary Christian album.

In 2013, he released Lies I Told Myself, his first country album in seven years.

Herndon credits his change and acceptance of who he is to a close friend, Wright, and his longtime partner, Matt, who he spoke over the phone with for six months before meeting him.

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