Billy Ray Cyrus

Billy Ray Cyrus Artistfacts

  • August 25, 1961
  • Born and raised in Flatwoods, Kentucky, Billy Ray Cyrus attended Georgetown College on a baseball scholarship before changing to music.
  • Cyrus exploded onto the music scene when his debut album, Some Gave All, debuted on the Billboard 200 at #1 and stayed there for a record-breaking 17 weeks in 1992. It went on to sell over 20 million copies worldwide.
  • The lead single from his album Some Gave All, "Achy Breaky Heart," is a cover of a little-known track by country music act the Marcy Brothers entitled "Don't Tell My Heart." The original version went virtually unnoticed, while the Cyrus cover, aided by a popular dance routine, crossed over into the mainstream and sold more than 9 million copies around the world.
  • Cyrus has also enjoyed a successful career as an actor. His first lead role was as Dr. Clint "Doc" Cassidy on the PAX TV medical drama Doc, which ran from 2001 to 2004. In 2016 he starred on the CMT sitcom Still The King, which ran for two seasons.
  • He is the father of Miley Cyrus, and from 2006 to 2011, Billy Ray co-starred in the Disney Channel series Hannah Montana with his daughter. He played her manager Robbie Stewart.
  • Cyrus has six kids. Here's the rundown:

    Daughter Brandi, born in 1987, whom he adopted after marrying her mother Tish in 1993.

    Son Trace, born in 1989, whom Billy Ray also adopted after marrying Tish. He was in the band Metro Station, which had a hit in 2007 called "Shake It."

    Son Christopher, born in 1992 to his former girlfriend Kristin Luckey.

    Daughter Miley, born in 1992 to Tish. She got kinda famous.

    Son Braison, born in 1994 to Tish.

    Daughter Noah, born in 2000 to tish. Also a singer, Noah had a hit in 2016 with "Make Me (Cry)."
  • He was married to Tish from 1993-2022. In 2023 he married an Australian singer 26 years younger who goes by the name Firerose, but Cyrus filed for divorce after just eight months, claiming she "married him for reasons other than love." In 2025 he started dating the actress Elizabeth Hurley, his co-star in the 2022 movie Christmas In Paradise.
  • When Billy Ray Cyrus met Dolly Parton for the first time, it was to apologize. Early in his career, tabloid rumors implied a romantic connection between the two, which upset Billy Ray. Determined to clear the air, he visited Dolly backstage with the offending article in hand. Instead of being angry, Dolly laughed and told him, "Honey, that sells records." That moment sparked a friendship that later saw Dolly becoming Miley Cyrus' godmother and appearing as "Aunt Dolly" on their show Hannah Montana.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Oliver Leiber

Oliver LeiberSongwriter Interviews

Oliver Leiber talks about writing and producing hits for Paula Abdul, and explains his complicated relationship with his father, the songwriter Jerry Leiber.

Ian Gillan of Deep Purple

Ian Gillan of Deep PurpleSongwriter Interviews

Deep Purple frontman Ian Gillan explains the "few red lights" in "Smoke On The Water" and talks about songs from their 2020 album Whoosh!

Gary Brooker of Procol Harum

Gary Brooker of Procol HarumSongwriter Interviews

The lead singer and pianist for Procol Harum, Gary talks about finding the musical ideas to match the words.

Glen Ballard

Glen BallardSongwriter Interviews

Glen Ballard talks about co-writing and producing Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill album, and his work with Dave Matthews, Aerosmith and Annie Lennox.

Part of Their World: The Stories and Songs of 13 Disney Princesses

Part of Their World: The Stories and Songs of 13 Disney PrincessesSong Writing

From "Some Day My Prince Will Come" to "Let It Go" - how Disney princess songs (and the women who sing them) have evolved.

Lip-Synch Rebels

Lip-Synch RebelsSong Writing

What happens when Kurt Cobain, Iron Maiden and Johnny Lydon are told to lip-synch? Some hilarious "performances."