Congratulations to country singer Ty Stone and his girlfriend, Valerie Darson, who got engaged over the weekend while vacationing in New York. "I couldn’t be any happier!" Stone reveals exclusively to Taste of Country. "I am so happy … I want to tell everyone. Is that terrible?"

Stone popped the question Saturday, June 9 with his grandmother's ring. His grandmother received the ring from Stone's grandfather 70 years ago while he was serving in World War II.

"I've had it for a few months," Stone says of the ring. "It’s not that big or impressive, but it’s very special to me. I actually have a song called ‘Future’ that’s on my record. I sing it at everyone’s wedding. There’s a line in there that says 'I traded in my saddle for my grandma’s diamond ring.' It was very special to me to have that."

"[Valerie is] always asking me how come I never write a song about her," Stone continues. "I was after her for like three years before we finally got together. I told her, ‘All my songs are about you! I can’t write one right now, because I’m too happy. I’m too happy now that we’re together.’ Secretly I was working on this song. I wrote a beautiful, beautiful song about our relationship. It was like a proposal song."

"So we were in New York, and we had just taken the Staten Island ferry to see the Statue of Liberty, and we were on top of the Empire State Building. I took her for a carriage ride through Central Park, all these different things," Stone explains of the events that took place prior to asking his bride-to-be the big question. "I just wore her out! We went back to the hotel, and I picked up my guitar and started picking on it. She loves when I play for her. She goes, ‘What is that?’ So I was like, ‘Sit down. I’ll play you something.’ So I play her this song, and halfway through the song she’s just sobbing! It’s just a very sweet song that’s very true about our love and our relationship and everything. Then at the end, the last line in the song is 'won’t you say you’ll be my wife?' She was just sitting there looking at me with tears in her eyes and everything. I pulled the ring out, and I was like, ‘It comes with this.’ She just lost it! Of course she said yes."

Ty Stone
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The proposal was something that came very unexpected to Darson, who has been dating the singer for a year this August, but has been the best of friends with him going on four years now. "The best part," Stone says with a smile, "is the night before [I proposed], I sat her down and was like, ‘Look honey, I want us to be able to take vacations, and I don’t want you to be disappointed and stuff, so I want you to know it will be a little while before I propose. I want to save some money and make sure I get the right ring … it could be a year or two years.' She took it as good as she could. That was little mean of me, but I had to throw her off the trail. I didn’t want her to know it was happening."

"I was happy with myself, and she told me it was perfect and it couldn’t have been any sweeter," beams Stone. "I was really, really happy with the whole thing. I’ve never been happier in my life. I’m so happy to be able to spend my life with my soulmate and my best friend. I’m very, very blessed. She’s been texting me up all day since we got engaged … ‘Hey, what’s going on? Just wanted to remind you, we’re engaged!'" [laughs]. She’s so funny!"

No date has been set yet for their walk down the aisle, but Stone has his ideas. "Well, her name’s Val and my name’s Ty, so I think we want to get married on Valentine’s Day," he says with a grin. "I think maybe 2013. I think it’s a little too soon to put a wedding together before [next year] … so 2013 Val-en-Ty’s Day [laughs]!"

To make this week even sweeter for the newcomer, his debut single, 'American Style,' impacted radio stations nationwide on Monday (July 11). "We got some really great markets that jumped on it early and unexpectedly, so that’s helped out a lot," Stone says. "Everyone’s excited. We’re going to have another big week this week, I think. I’ve been on the road now for 17 months, so I’m really excited for everything to kind of go to the next level. I’m definitely a road warrior at this point. You can’t take over the world from your couch!"

The song is the first release from the singer's forthcoming debut album on Warner Bros. Records, also titled, 'American Style,' slated for release later this year.

 

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