Ty Herndon on New Deluxe Version of Album JACOB: ‘I Knew There Was More I Wanted to Say’ (Exclusive)

This is a time of somewhat personal upheaval for Ty Herndon.

“We are just getting ready to move into our new house during the second week of January,” Herndon, 61, told PEOPLE in a recent interview. “We’re up to our elbows in boxes right now.”

It’s a happy twist, though, as the Grammy-nominated and Dove Award-winning country artist finds herself enjoying newfound bliss with husband Alex Schwartz.

“I wake up in the morning and I’m like, ‘Oh, well, you’re still here,'” Herndon says with a laugh. “Alex and I are very grateful to have each other.”

It’s that warm feeling that has undoubtedly sparked new creativity in the heart of the Mississippi native, who has released a deluxe edition of his critically acclaimed album JAKOVE back in November.

“I knew I had more to say,” says Herndon, who burst onto the scene in 1995 with the first song, “What Mattered Most.” “You never want to put yourself in the stories you tell, but now I do only in the stories I tell. That is the authenticity of healing. It’s all about reconnecting the heart and brain.”

Ty Herndon.

Jeremy Ryan

Ty Herndon Says He Hopes ‘God or the Gun’ Will Inspire Fans to ‘Choose the Light’ — Watch Video

This connection led Herndon to open his heart and come across the beautiful song “How You Get to Heaven”. “[Singer/songwriter] Jamie Floyd wrote it and performed it at The Concert for Love and Acceptance last year, and I was standing on the side of the stage mesmerized,” recalls Herndon of the Floyd and Ken McMeans-penned song that now lives on in the deluxe edition. from JAKOVE. “I thought if I could one day cut that song, that message would be so authentic.”

It’s a place of authenticity that also resulted in Herndon co-writing the heartbreakingly good song “Love Me Anyway” with Floyd and Jimmy Thow four months ago.

Ty Herndon’s JACOB Deluxe Edition.

Jeremy Ryan

“Love me because you love me, because I’m beautifully and perfectly made,” Herndon says of the song’s meaning. “Maybe I have some problems, but it’s not because I’m gay. And I learned a little lesson when I write this song. I learned something new. Sometimes a song is already born. Maybe it’s from outer space or from the sky, but all I know is that the song is already written.”

The singer-songwriter trio wrote the song in one hour.

“I immediately went to my record company and said, ‘I’ve got to cut this and I’m happy to pay for it myself,'” Herndon recalls with a laugh. “I played the song, but there wasn’t a dry eye in the room.”

Country star Ty Herndon on addiction, attempted suicide and how Coming Out saved his life

Herndon also performed “Love Me Anyway” at the Lipstick Lounge in Nashville, and the reaction was unforgettable.

“I started singing that song and you could hear a pin drop,” he remembers. “I’m talking about the truth and the message that needs to be heard for these guys today – and for me – is that we love you. The power of music is so amazing. I don’t think I’ve ever noticed as much as I do now.”

Indeed, there is some magic swirling around Herndon right now.

“Keeping the body moving forward in a spiritual and healthy way is constantly in the right direction,” says Herndon. “Sometimes you really have to decide who has a seat at your table. Your door is always open, but who has a seat at this table? Surround yourself with kindness, love and spirituality. In this business, that’s sometimes hard to find, but it’s not hard to find in life .”

Ty Herndon and Alex Schwartz.

William McClintic/Heather Carpenter

Ty Herndon Marries Alex Schwartz in Picturesque Tennessee Farm Wedding: All the Details! (Exclusive)

And it’s those in his life who surrounded him and his husband in August that Herndon thinks about during these somewhat busy days.

“I get choked up every time I think about those 300 guests standing under that pavilion,” he recalls of the guest list that included Kristin Chenoweth and her husband Josh Bryant, along with Herndon’s longtime friend Sally Struthers. “We rounded the corner of the barn and everyone was in horseshoes facing us. It cut us down. We took our time walking down. It was a canopy of love. I’ve never felt anything like it. It was amazing.”

Herndon laughs.

“During recovery, I noticed that I had my mother’s babble, so there you go,” he says. “It’s just me now.”

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