Ty Herndon Sings Emotional Cover of Miley Cyrus’ ‘The Climb’ at GLAAD Media Awards

Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Ty Herndon has become an inspiration for many after he came out in November 2014, and involvement with the LGBT community has made him a trailblazer in the country music industry. As part of his advocacy and a testimony to his own story, Herndon recently took the stage at the GLAAD Media Awards and sang an emotional rendition of Miley Cyrus’ hit song, "The Climb."

The lyrics are of course relevant to Herndon's own journey, having been through a few periods of turmoil before discovering himself and sharing it with the public, and his connection to the story showed in his performance. His vocals were impressive despite the occasional emotional note, and he was backed by a group of gospel singers whose powerful chorus added a sense of triumph and celebration to the song.

“It’s an honor to do my part for love and acceptance,” Herndon shared from the stage. “It’s an honor to be here tonight.”

The country singer was accompanied by Kristin Henderson-Ellis of alt-country group Antigone Rising and country singer/guitarist Anita Cochran.

In June, Herndon will co-host Nashville’s first Concert for Love and Acceptance, which will include performers and special guests such as Billy Gilman (who came out on the same day as Herndon) and Jamie O’Neal.

Ty Herndon and Other Artists Who've Come Out as Gay