Billy Ray Cyrus Biography

Billy Ray Cyrus is an American country singer, songwriter, and actor. He gained popularity after his hit single “Achy Breaky Heart” became the first single ever to achieve triple platinum status in Australia. It was also the best-selling single in the same country in 1992. Because of the song’s music video, the line dance rose in popularity.

Billy Ray Cyrus Career

Billy Ray Cyrus Music Career

Cyrus began to sing when he was four years old. In 1966, his parents got divorced. Before switching to music, he was a baseball scholarship recipient at Georgetown College. After seeing Neil Diamond live, he decided he wanted to be a musician and left Georgetown during his junior year. He then set a goal to launch a career in 10 months. He was a member of the band Sly Dog in the 1980s before he signed a recording deal with Mercury Nashville Records. Cyrus’s one-eyed dog served as the inspiration for the name Sly Dog.

Living in his neighbor’s car was just one of the many struggles Cyrus faced while attempting to secure a recording contract in Los Angeles. Nevertheless, he signed with PolyGram/Mercury in 1990. He served as Reba McEntire’s opening act that same year. Cyrus started writing and recording songs for his 1992 debut album. The 1992 film Some Gave All was released. The album quickly rose to the top of the charts and in sales. It made its debut at the top of the charts in several other countries as well as the Billboard 200, Canadian Albums Chart, Canadian Country Albums Chart, and Billboard Top Country Albums. The title track of the album was one of the album’s four consecutive top 40 hits on the Hot Country Songs chart in 1992–1993.

The song “Achy Breaky Heart” was the most popular one to be released. It was a hit on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 4, and it also reached No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart. Remarkably for a song featuring country music, it achieved global recognition as well, peaking at number one in Australia and number three on the UK Singles Chart. The hit song’s video was responsible for the line dance’s mainstream explosion and subsequent global craze. Furthermore, the singles “She’s Not Cryin’ Anymore” peaked at No. 6, “Could’ve Been Me” at No. 2, and “Wher’m I Gonna Live?” at No. 23.

In 1996, Some Gave All achieved a 9× multi-platinum certification in the US and has since sold more than 20 million copies globally. It Won’t Be the Last, Cyrus’ second studio album, was swiftly released in 1993 by Mercury Records in collaboration with Cyrus. Three of the four singles from the album reached the top 40. At No. 1 on the Country charts and No. 3 on the Billboard 200, the album made its debut. It Won’t Be the Last received a platinum certification from the RIAA by year’s end. “In the Heart of a Woman” was the lead single and peaked at number three on the charts. Other singles that charted higher were “Somebody New” at number nine, “Words By Heart” at number twelve, and “Talk Some” at number sixty-three.

Cyrus also featured on Dolly Parton’s 1993 single “Romeo”; the song only peaked at number 27 on the country singles charts, but the music video for it became well-liked on CMT. 1994 saw the release of Cyrus’ third studio album, Storm in the Heartland. It was the last record he cut for PolyGram, which shut down in 1995. The album’s success was lower than that of its predecessors. Just the title track made the top 40 of the Country Singles Chart, and it only peaked at No. 11 on the Country Albums Chart. The second single “Deja Blue” only charted at No. 66, and the third and final single “One Last Thrill” did not chart at all.

In the US, the album was able to receive a gold certification. Prior to commencing work on his subsequent album, Cyrus was moved to Mercury Nashville. Cyrus also contributed “Pictures Don’t Lie” to the Red Hot Organization’s AIDS benefit album Red Hot + Country in 1994. Trail of Tears, Cyrus’s 1996 album for Mercury Records, was his most highly praised record. On the Country chart, the album debuted at number twenty. Only two songs—neither of which reached the top 40—were selected for radio play. “Three Little Words” and the album’s title track peaked at No. 65 and No. 69, respectively. After just four weeks on the charts, the album was taken off the charts without receiving any certification.

Cyrus’s final album for Mercury Records, Shot Full of Love, was released in 1998. When the album debuted at No. 32, it became his lowest-peaking album. “Under the Hood” was the first single to chart; it failed to do so. “Time for Letting Go” peaked at No. 70, “Busy Man” at No. 3, and “I Give My Heart to You” at No. 41. In 1999, Cyrus left Mercury and signed with Monument Records after the single debuted at the top of the charts. Southern Rain, his debut album for Monument, was released in 2000. It made its debut at No. 102 on the Billboard 200 and No. 13 on the Country Albums chart. All five of the singles that were released charted.

“You Won’t Be Lonely Now,” the album’s lead single, peaked at No. 17, making it the highest-peaking single. Additional hits include the title track (No. 45), “We the People” (No. 60), “Burn Down the Trailer Park” (No. 43), and “Crazy ‘Bout You Baby” (No. 58). Cyrus recorded two Christian albums following the completion of the chart runs for the Southern Rain singles. The Other Side and Time Flies were both released in 2003. On the Country album charts, the debut album peaked at a lowly No. 56. Only the last single made it onto the charts out of the three that were released as singles. The songs “Bread Alone,” “What Else Is There,” and “Back to Memphis” were made available; the latter peaked at number sixty on the charts.

While Cyrus was filming his PAX series, Doc, he recorded the second Christian album, The Other Side. It debuted at No. 131 on the Billboard 200, No. 18 on the Top Country Albums chart, and No. 5 on the Top Christian Albums chart. “Always Sixteen” did not chart, but two of the three singles—”Face of God” (No. 54) and “The Other Side” (No. 45)—did. Billy Ray released his first country album since Southern Rain in 2000 with the release of Wanna Be Your Joe. Once more, it was recorded for the New Door/UMe Records record label. While Cyrus was filming the television series Hannah Montana, it was released. The song Wanna Be Your Joe peaked at No. 113 on the all-genre charts and No. 24 on the Country charts.

Although the album didn’t have a hit single, it sold well at first. The first single “I Want My Mullet Back” was released after the title track, neither of which received much airplay on country radio. A music video for the duet “Stand,” featuring Miley Cyrus’s daughter, was produced even though the song was never released as a single. Billy Ray made an appearance with the metal-rock group Metal Skool (now Steel Panther) in 2006. They performed a number of songs, including “I Want My Mullet Back” from Wanna Be Your Joe and “Rebel Yell” by Billy Idol. Additionally, he performed “The Star Spangled Banner” in St. Louis, Missouri during Game 5 of the 2006 World Series.

Cyrus competed as a celebrity in the fourth season of Dancing with the Stars in the middle of 2007. Karina Smirnoff was paired with Cyrus. He was soon favored by the audience. After advancing to the semi-finals, Cyrus and Smirnoff placed fifth. Cyrus’s record label decided to push up the release date of his new album by one month as a result of his exposure to Dancing with the Stars and Hannah Montana. Walt Disney Records released Home at Last in July 2007. It was Cyrus’s first top 5 placement since 1993 when it debuted at No. 3 on the country charts. Although the album’s initial sales were very strong, it was not certified.

“Ready, Set, Don’t Go” was first made available as a solo single. The Hot Country Songs chart saw the solo version peak at number 33. The song was featured in a duet that Cyrus and his daughter Miley did on Dancing with the Stars in October 2007. Miley achieved her first-ever top five on any Billboard chart when the duet debuted at No. 27 on the Country charts and went on to peak at No. 4 in 2008. This marked Billy Ray’s first top-five single since 1999. In 2008, Cyrus was included in the Disney compilation album Country Sings Disney. The album featured two of his songs: “Ready, Set, Don’t Go” and “Real Gone,” which was written by Sheryl Crow.

In addition to being featured on Back to Tennessee, Billy Ray’s rendition of “Real Gone” has a music video that airs on CMT and GAC. Back to Tennessee, his new studio album would be out by year’s end via Lyric Street Records, according to an announcement made on his website towards the end of 2008. Originally scheduled for release on October 21, 2008, the album was rescheduled for November 18. The album was scheduled for release on January 13, 2009, but it was never made available. In August 2008, “Somebody Said a Prayer” made its debut at No. 53 and peaked at No. 33 in November of the same year.

Back to Tennessee was released a month after the album’s title track, which made its debut on the country singles chart on March 14, 2009, at No. 59. In 11 weeks, the song only peaked at No. 47 on the charts. “A Good Day” became the third single to reach No. 60 on the country charts during the September 5, 2009, chart week. In its debut week as Home at Last, it performed less well. In its first week of release, it sold about 14,000 copies and peaked at No. 13 on the charts. The release of Hannah Montana: The Movie and the album fell on the same day.

The movie’s soundtrack featured the song “Back to Tennessee” along with a duet called “Butterfly Fly Away” featuring Miley Cyrus. The latter song peaked at No. 50 on the Canadian Hot 100 and No. 56 on the Billboard Hot 100. Billy Ray and Miley presented the “Song of the Year” honor at the 42nd Annual Country Music Association Awards on November 12, 2008. Billy Ray and Miley both performed on Good Morning America before the awards show. Cyrus appeared in the Metro Station music video “Seventeen Forever” in December 2008. After just one album, Cyrus and Lyric Street Records split up soon after “A Good Day,” the third single from Back to Tennessee, hit number one on the charts.

In the beginning of 2009, Cyrus, Phil Vassar, Jeffrey Steele, and John Waite formed a supergroup called Brother Clyde. Cyrus revealed on Twitter that he was a member of a supergroup and that they had recently recorded the lead song for their upcoming album, Lately. Regarding the new alternative rock group Brother Clyde, Cyrus stated on June 30, 2010, that Dave Henning, Jamie Miller, Dan Knight, and Samantha Maloney would replace the original members. He also announced the availability of their single “Lately” on iTunes and the August 10, 2010 release date of their debut album. Late in 2010, Cyrus announced the release of his new solo patriotic album, I’m American, and he ceased his activities with the band Brother Clyde.

Released as the lead single, “Some Gave All” was a re-recording of the song originally slated to be released in November 2010 but was pushed back to May 24, 2011, featuring guest vocals from Craig Morgan, Jamey Johnson, and Darryl Worley. But the song was renamed “Runway Lights” in April 2011. On June 28, 2011, I’m American came out. In August 2011, a follow-up single titled “Nineteen” was released. The song became Cyrus’ first chart single since “A Good Day” in 2009 when it debuted at number 58 on the Hot Country Songs chart during the week of October 8, 2011. On October 23, 2012, Cyrus released the album Change My Mind. On September 6, the title track—the album’s first single—was made available.

After formally changing his name, Cyrus informed Rolling Stone Country in April 2017 that he would go by Cyrus or “the artist formerly known as Billy Ray” on August 25, his birthday. Although this did not sit well with the fans, Cyrus stated on Live with Kelly and Ryan, “I’m here to set the record straight.” “Cyrus” is the name of the album. Then, “Set the Record Straight,” with subtitles.” He promised the crowd that Billy Ray would always be his name. Cyrus was part of the remix after American rapper Lil Nas X’s country-rap song “Old Town Road” was taken off Billboard’s Country chart.

The song’s original mix was displaced by the remix, which became the number one song on the Billboard Hot 100, giving Cyrus his first number one on the chart. “Old Town Road” surpassed the record set by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men’s song “One Sweet Day” to become the longest-running number-one song in history after spending 19 weeks straight (18 of which were credited to Cyrus) on the Hot 100. The song won Best Music Video and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance after receiving multiple Grammy Award nominations. After selling more than ten million copies in the US, the song was certified diamond by the RIAA in October 2019. It became the fastest song to be awarded diamond certification.

Billy Ray Cyrus Acting Career

Radical Jack, an independent film released in 1999, starred Cyrus. Additionally, he played a minor role as Gene, a pool cleaner who had an affair with Adam Kesher’s (Justin Theroux) wife, in David Lynch’s 2001 film Mulholland Drive. Cyrus starred in the lead role of the comedy-drama Doc on PAX (now ION Television) in 2001, which went on to become the highest-rated program on the network. In 2005, Cyrus took on the role of Frank Butler in a Toronto stage adaptation of Annie Get Your Gun, furthering his acting career. The Nanny, Diagnosis Murder, Love Boat, The Next Wave, and TNN’s 18 Wheels of Justice are just a few of Cyrus’s television credits.

In 2004’s “The Power of Love” episode of the Canadian teen drama Degrassi: The Next Generation, he made a cameo appearance as a limo driver. In addition, a number of television specials about Cyrus have covered his career and ascent to fame. These include the TNN specials I Give My Heart To You and The Life and Times of Billy Ray Cyrus, as well as the two ABC documentaries Billy Ray Cyrus: Dreams Come True and Billy Ray Cyrus: A Year on the Road, which is a VH1 exclusive. Cyrus and his daughter Miley Cyrus started co-starring in the Disney Channel original series Hannah Montana towards the end of 2005. The show debuted on March 24, 2006.

Along with a number of other famous people, Cyrus competed in the fourth season of the US version of Dancing with the Stars in March 2007. After finishing in the “bottom two” the previous week, he and his partner Karina Smirnoff were eliminated in the eighth week (May 8, 2007). In Jackie Chan’s film The Spy Next Door, Cyrus also starred. It was released in January 2010 after being filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Cyrus is a member of the Parents Television Council, a conservative organization’s advisory board.
It was revealed in 2010 that he and his son Trace Cyrus would be featured in UFO: Unbelievably Freakin’ Obvious, a new Syfy reality series.

Billy Ray Cyrus Age

Cyrus was born on August 25, 1961, in Flatwoods, Kentucky, United States. He is 62 years old as of 2023 and he celebrates his birthday on the 25th of August every year.

Billy Ray Cyrus Height and Weight

Cyrus stands at a height of 6 feet 0 inches (1.83 m) tall and weighs 84 kg (186 lbs).

Billy Ray Cyrus Family

Cyrus was born in Flatwoods, Kentucky, to Ron Cyrus, a steelworker who became a politician, and Ruth Ann Casto. His parents divorced in 1966. His grandfather was a Pentecostal preacher. Since his family is in the music business, he grew up surrounded by gospel and bluegrass music. While his father was a right-handed guitarist, Cyrus, who is left-handed, attempted to play his father’s guitar but was unsuccessful. He grew up alongside his brother, Kevin Cyrus, and two sisters, Angie Marie Cyrus and Cherie Cyrus

Billy Ray Cyrus Wife and Children | Billy Ray Cyrus Miley Cyrus

Cyrus and Cindy Smith tied the knot in 1986 and went through a divorce in 1991. Smith and Cyrus co-wrote the songs “Some Gave All” and “Wher’m I Gonna Live?” which were included on Cyrus’s debut album Some Gave All in 1992. In 1992, Cyrus had two children with separate women: Leticia “Tish” Finley gave birth to a daughter named Miley Ray Cyrus, and waitress Kristin Luckey to a son named Christopher Cody Cyrus. Luckey raised their son in South Carolina after Cyrus promised to provide for her and their child. In defiance of Cyrus’ record label, the couple secretly wed on December 28, 1993, while Finley was expecting their second child.

Together, they are parents to three children: a son, Braison Chance Cyrus (born 1994), and two daughters, Miley Ray Cyrus (born Destiny Hope Cyrus in 1992) and Noah Lindsey Cyrus (born 2000). In addition, he took in the two kids Finley had from her previous relationship: son Trace Dempsey Cyrus (born Neil Timothy Helson in 1989) and daughter Brandi Glenn Cyrus (born 1987). Cyrus’s first grandchild was born in June 2021, the first child of his son Braison and daughter-in-law Stella (McBride) Cyrus. The family farmed 500 acres (2.0 km2) near Nashville in Thompson’s Station, Tennessee. Miley, their daughter, starred in the Disney Channel original series Hannah Montana, which was filmed in Los Angeles.

Additionally, Brandi made appearances in the television episodes “Been Here All Along” and “Yet Another Side of Me.” Citing irreconcilable differences, Cyrus filed for divorce in Tennessee on October 26, 2010, but he announced in March 2011 that the divorce was no longer pending. After 19 years of marriage, Tish filed for divorce on June 13, 2013, citing irreconcilable differences with Cyrus. The couple reportedly stopped their divorce proceedings in July 2013 and began therapy. Due to the couple’s non-attendance, the court formally dismissed the second divorce case in 2017.

Tish filed for divorce a second time in April 2022, stating in the divorce documents that they had been apart for longer than two years. Cyrus proposed to Australian singer Firerose in August 2022. Meet on the set of Hannah Montana more than ten years ago, the two collaborated on the song “New Day” in 2021, with Cyrus on guitar and Firerose on vocals. The couple tied the knot on October 10, 2023.

Billy Ray Cyrus Salary

Cyrus earns an annual salary of about $5 Million. In 1992, his song “Achy Breaky Heart” took him on what he calls a “rocket ride” — and made him $40 million in one year.

Billy Ray Cyrus Net Worth

Cyrus has an estimated net worth of about $20 Million which he has earned through his career as a singer, songwriter, and actor.

Billy Ray Cyrus Achy Breaky Heart

Cyrus’s hit song “Achy Breaky Heart” went viral in the spring of 1992, despite being about the singer’s ticker going pop. The song’s power came from Cyrus’s swaying hips and his fans’ stomping feet. Prior to becoming a true worldwide phenomenon, “Heart” first rose up the country charts before going mainstream and peaking at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. This is an uncommon accomplishment for a country song. It’s been remixed, parodied, covered, and apparently translated into over a hundred languages over the years. Whether you like it or not, you can tell that “Achy Break Heart” is a permanent fixture in your playlist. So as we commemorate the song’s anniversary, let’s take a look back at how one of the original earworms of the 1990s made its way onto radio stations and into music history.

Billy Ray Cyrus Songs

1. Some Gave All (1992)
2. It Won’t Be the Last (1993)
3. Storm in the Heartland (1994)
4. Trail of Tears (1996)
5. Shot Full of Love (1998)
6. Southern Rain (2000)
7. Time Flies (2003)
8. The Other Side (2003)
9. Wanna Be Your Joe (2006)
10. Home at Last (2007)
11. Back to Tennessee (2009)
12. I’m American (2011)
13. Change My Mind (2012)
14. Thin Line (2016)
15. Set the Record Straight (2017)
16. The SnakeDoctor Circus (2019)

Billy Ray Cyrus Movies and TV Shows

1. Radical Jack 2001
2. Mulholland Drive 2001
3. Wish You Were Dead 2002
4. Death and Texas 2004
5. Elvis Has Left the Building 2004
6. Bait Shop 2008
7. Best of Both Worlds Concert 2008
8. Flying By 2009
9. Christmas in Canaan 2009
10. Hannah Montana: The Movie 2009
11. The Spy Next Door 2010
12. Billy Ray Cyrus: I’m American 2011
13. Christmas Comes Home to Canaan 2011
14. Like a Country Song 2014
15. Sharknado 2: The Second One 2014
16. Demi Lovato: Simply Complicated 2017
17. American Reject 2020
18. Christmas in Paradise 2022
19. Glisten and the Merry Mission 2023
20. Top of the Pops 1992
21. The Nanny 1995
22. Diagnosis: Murder 1997
23. The Love Boat: The Next Wave 1999
24. 18 Wheels of Justice 2000
25. Doc 2001–2004
26. Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye 2002
27. Degrassi: The Next Generation 2003
28. Hannah Montana 2006–2011
29. Billy Ray Cyrus: Home at Last 2007
30. Dancing with the Stars 2007
31. Hillbilly: The Real Story 2008
32. Nashville Star 2008
33. Phineas and Ferb 2008
34. Are We There Yet? 2010
35. Full Throttle Saloon 2011
36. Surprise Homecoming 2011
37. 90210 2011-2012
38. The Haunting Of… 2014
39. Newsreaders 2014
40. Still the King 2016-2017
41. Cyrus vs. Cyrus: Design and Conquer 2017
42. Blaze and the Monster Machines 2017
43. Carpool Karaoke: The Series 2017
44. Hannah Montana: The Movie 2009
45. Surprise Homecoming 2011
46. Still the King 2016–2017

Billy Ray Cyrus Social Media Platform

Cyrus is very active on his Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook pages. He has 1.4M followers on Twitter 2M followers on Instagram, and 2.1M followers on Facebook.

Twitter