Audio only
Length5h 36m
About this audiobook
**Narrated by the author!** Ty Herndon brings the power of his own voice to the special audio edition of WHAT MATTERED MOST. An intimate portrait of faith, addiction, celebrity, and relationships all told by the man himself in the inimitable voice that made him a country music legend. An intimate, often hilarious but always sincere memoir from country legend Ty Herndon on his struggles with addiction, mental health, his career, relationships, and being the first openly gay male country superstar.
Ty Herndon may be most known for his beautiful country songs, but behind the music Herndon's own life could be the subject of a classic country ballad. His career began as a member of the band The Tennessee River Boys—the band that would later become Diamond Rio. He found solo success after signing to Epic Records and releasing the number-one hit "What Mattered Most," launching a decades-long career as one of country music's leading legends.
But behind the fame, Herndon struggled with addiction, mental health issues, and his sexuality—the latter of which had no place in mainstream country in the 90's, 2000's and arguably through today. Facing a series of setbacks including an arrest, lawsuits and a drug relapse, all while struggling to maintain his secret, his spiral ultimately led to a suicide attempt. His subsequent successful stay in rehab led to the inspiration for his song "God or the Gun."
Now, Herndon brings that song to life telling his full story for the first time. With profound introspection, brutal honesty, occasional humor and a lot of heart, Herndon shares how he fought against his demons and ultimately chose God over the gun.
Audiobook details
Rating★★★★★ 4.7 (181)
Includes Goodreads, Amazon
GenreBiography and Memoir, History
Length5 hrs 36 mins
Narrated byTy Herndon, Vince Gill
FormatAudiobook
Publish dateMar 31, 2026
LanguageEnglish
How to Test Negative for StupidJohn Kennedy8h 13m4.7 (9.7K)$28 · $0.00
Defying JihadEsther Ahmad8h 50m4.7 (4.8K)$20
Bad Fat Black GirlSesali Bowen6h 32m4.7 (2.8K)$24 · $0.00
Send MeMarty Skovlund, Joe Kent8h 10m4.7 (1.6K)$26 · $0.00
Left for DeadEbony Canion5h 34m4.7 (2.2K)$17
John Muir: The Story of My Boyhood and Youth & Letters to a Friend (Annotated)John Muir10h 13m4.7 (1.1K)$0.99 · $0.00
Invisible StormJason Kander6h 48m4.7 (3.2K)$24 · $0.00
Forever BoyKate Swenson9h 27m4.7 (5K)$29 · $0.00
You Are Worth ItKyle Carpenter, Don Yaeger8h 53m4.7 (4.8K)$29 · $0.00
The Happiest Man on EarthEddie Jaku3h 48m4.6 (178K)$7 · $0.00
MotherlandJulia Ioffe17h 52m4.7 (2.5K)$40 · $0.00
Evidence Not SeenDarlene Deibler Rose11h 11m4.6 (11.9K)$29 · $0.00
A Bridge Not Too FarDeepak Ohri4h 55m4.8 (179)$15
Where Cowards Go to DieBenjamin Sledge8h 42m4.7 (351)$20 · $0.00
Will You Love Me?Cathy Glass9h 5m4.6 (9.3K)$29 · $0.00
Designing Terry Pratchett’s DiscworldPaul Kidby3h 52m4.7 (343)$20 · $0.00
HostageEli Sharabi5h 25m4.6 (10.8K)$24 · $0.00
Finding MeViola Davis9h 15m4.6 (256.4K)$29 · $0.00
Scandal Between the Sheets & Stranded with the Tempting StrangerBrenda Jackson9h 22m4.8 (141)$24 · $0.00
The Dangerous Truth about Today’s MarijuanaLaura Stack CSP, MBA9h 57m4.7 (384)$20 · $0.00
The Gulag Archipelago Volume 3Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn21h 56m4.7 (8.9K)$46 · $0.00
Pearl of Great PriceJoseph Smith3h 8m4.7 (7.2K)$1.20 · $0.00
The Redeemer’s ReturnArthur W. Pink13h 18m4.7 (589)$20
The Happiest Man on EarthEddie Jaku3h 48m4.6 (178K)$7 · $0.00
MotherlandJulia Ioffe17h 52m4.7 (2.5K)$40 · $0.00
Where Cowards Go to DieBenjamin Sledge8h 42m4.7 (351)$20 · $0.00
The Bark Canoes and Skin Boats of North America (Annotated)Howard Irving Chapelle, Tappan Adney13h 9m4.8 (150)$0.99 · $0.00
RevolutionariesSanjeev Sanyal11h 23m4.6 (2.6K)$29 · $0.00
We Crossed a Bridge and It TrembledWendy Pearlman6h4.6 (5.2K)$24 · $0.00
Unbroken Bonds of BattleJohnny Joey Jones8h 31m4.6 (2.6K)$8 · $0.00
The Daughter of AuschwitzTova Friedman, Malcolm Brabant7h 54m4.6 (16.7K)$26 · $0.00
Lily's PromiseLily Ebert, Dov Forman8h 54m4.6 (16.1K)$29 · $0.00
Saving My EnemyBob Welch9h 11m4.6 (2.3K)$20
On Democracies and Death CultsDouglas Murray10h 38m4.6 (6.5K)$29 · $0.00
Across the RiverKent Babb11h 40m4.6 (927)$29 · $0.00
The Red Record (Annotated)Ida B. Wells-Barnett5h 19m4.8 (102)$0.99 · $0.00
Balcony Over Jerusalem: A Middle East Memoir - Israel, Palestine and BeyondJohn Lyons12h 37m4.6 (1.4K)$33 · $0.00
The Fire Next TimeJames Baldwin2h 25m4.6 (159.1K)$15
EnduranceAlfred Lansing6h 1m4.6 (40.8K)$20
BeyondStephen Walker15h 39m4.6 (3.2K)$33 · $0.00
You may also like
Take This ManBrando Skyhorse8h 49m3.9 (2.2K)$20 · $0.00
SweetnessJeff Pearlman18h 50m4.4 (3.6K)$32 · $0.00
Mirror to MirrorRajani LaRocca4h 1m4.2 (975)$20 · $0.00
The Family OutingJessi Hempel10h 31m4.1 (2.3K)$29 · $0.00
Phases, Brandy12h 8m4.1 (3.4K)$24 · $0.00
Here's the StoryMaureen McCormick5h 59m3.8 (8.5K)$24 · $0.00
Flirting with FameSamantha Joyce7h 8m3.9 (1.1K)$20
The Brightest Stars of SummerLeila Howland8h 16m4.5 (604)$26 · $0.00
Finding Our ForeverBrenda Novak6h 19m4.1 (7.3K)$12 · $0.00
The ConditionJennifer Haigh14h 10m3.7 (12.3K)$33 · $0.00
Sir CharlieSid Fleischman3h 41m4.1 (376)$15
The Kindest LieNancy Johnson11h 5m3.9 (29.2K)$29 · $0.00
Because We Are BadLily Bailey5h 53m4.3 (5.4K)$24 · $0.00
The Painted VeilW. Somerset Maugham7h 39m4.1 (78K)$1 · $0.00
RacelessGeorgina Lawton8h 7m4.2 (1.7K)$26 · $0.00
Summer Hours at the Robbers LibrarySue Halpern10h 16m3.7 (9.9K)$29 · $0.00
An AutobiographyMohandas K. (Mahatma) Gandhi18h 43m4.2 (131.3K)$28
Sister SisterBabygirl Daniels3h 26m4.5 (463)$15
The Save of My LifeCorey Hirsch, Sean Patrick Conboy5h 41m4.4 (397)$24 · $0.00
The Bottom of the SkyWilliam C. Pack21h 48m4.2 (515)$32