Just hours after country music star Ty Herndon came out as a gay man, country singer Billy Gilman followed.
In 2000, at the age of 11, Gilman debuted with the single “One Voice.” The song was a Top 20 hit on the Billboard country music charts and Gilman became the youngest singer to have a Top 40 hit on the country music charts.
On Thursday, Gilman revealed his sexual orientation in an emotional YouTube video.
Gilman says in the video that months back a reporter took a picture of him with his partner and that is when he knew he should come out. He said he wanted it to come from him instead of some other source where the facts might be distorted.
He also said in the video that he believes because of rumors about his sexual orientation, major record labels had avoided him.
Though he worries about the ramifications this may have on his career, he said he is not ashamed of being a gay male country music artist. He added that he feels he is “in a genre and industry that is ashamed of me for being me.”
Gilman said in the video he has been with his partner for five months.
