Ricky Martin and LeAnn Rimes were among
the celebrities who congratulated Ty Herndon on coming out gay last
week.
The 52-year-old Herndon publicly
announced his sexuality for the first time in an interview with
PEOPLE, making him the second openly gay country music artist after
close friend Chely Wright.
(Related: Ty
Herndon comes out gay.)
In a follow up interview, Herndon told
PEOPLE that the positive support “just blew my mind.”
Among those supporting Herndon were
Ricky Martin, Kristin Chenoweth, Lance Bass and LeAnn Rimes.
“My mom says I need to send thank-you
cards, so I've got a long list!” he said with a laugh.
“My life feels open,” he added.
“I feel free, like the weight of the world's been lifted off my
shoulders.”
Herndon released his latest studio
album, Lies
I Told Myself, last year.