Billy Ray Cyrus
Encyclopedia
William "Billy" Ray Cyrus (born August 25, 1961) is an American
country music
singer, songwriter, actor and philanthropist
, who helped make country music
a worldwide phenomenon. Having released twelve studio albums and forty-four singles since 1992, he is best known for his Number One single "Achy Breaky Heart
", which 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. Thanks to the video of this hit, the linedance catapulted into the mainstream, becoming a worldwide craze. Cyrus, a multi-platinum selling recording artist
, has scored a total of eight top-ten singles on the Billboard Country Songs
chart. His most successful album to date is the debut of Some Gave All
, which has been certified 9× Multi-Platinum in the United States and is the longest time spent by a debut artist at Number One on the Billboard 200
(17 consecutive weeks) and most consecutive chart-topping weeks in the SoundScan era. It's the only album (from any genre) in the SoundScan era to log 17 consecutive weeks at Number One and is also the top-ranking debut album by a male country artist. It ranked 43 weeks in the top 10, a total topped by only one country album in history, Ropin' The Wind
by Garth Brooks
. Some Gave All was also the first debut album to enter at the number 1 in the Billboard Country Albums. The album has also sold more than 20 million copies worldwide and is the Best-selling debut album of all time for a solo male artist. Some Gave All
was also the best-selling album of the 1992 in the US with 4,832,000 copies. In his career, he has released 35 charted singles, of which 15 charted in the Top 40.
From 2001 to 2004, Cyrus starred in the television show Doc
. The show was about a country doctor who moved from Montana
to New York City
. In late 2005, he began to co-star in the Disney Channel
series Hannah Montana
with his daughter Miley Cyrus
.
to Ron Cyrus
, a politician, and his wife, the former Ruth Ann Casto. His grandfather was a Pentecostal preacher
. Growing up, he was surrounded by bluegrass and gospel music from his family. His father, a right-handed man, played guitar. Billy Ray, on the other hand, was left-handed. He tried to play his father's guitar, but could never learn. Cyrus attended Georgetown College on a baseball scholarship before switching his focus to music. During the 1980s, Cyrus played in the bar band Sly Dog before getting a record deal with Mercury Nashville Records.
in Los Angeles
, Cyrus was referred to as "too country" for LA, and "too rock" for Nashville. However, in 1990, he was signed to PolyGram/Mercury. Cyrus began to record and write music for his debut album, released in 1992.
Some Gave All
was released in 1992. The album became an instant chart and sales successor. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums, Billboard 200, Canadian Country Albums chart, Canadian Albums Chart
, and on the charts of several other foreign countries. The album featured four consecutive Top 40 singles on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart from 1992 to 1993; including an album cut, the title track. The most successful single released was "Achy Breaky Heart
". It reached #1 on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and was also a hit on the pop charts
, where it reached #4. Although the song was the only number one single, "Could've Been Me
" reached #2, "Wher'm I Gonna Live?" reached #23, and "She's Not Cryin' Anymore
" reached #6.
Some Gave All was certified 9× Multi-Platinum in the United States in 1996, and has sold over 20 million copies worldwide.
In 1993, Cyrus and Mercury Records quickly released Cyrus' second studio album, It Won't Be the Last
. The album featured four singles, however, only three made the Top 40. The album debuted at #1 on the Country charts, and #3 on the Billboard 200. By the end of the year, It Won't Be the Last was certified Platinum by the RIAA. The highest charting single, the lead-off single, "In the Heart of a Woman
", charted to #3, with "Somebody New
" charting to #9, "Words By Heart" at #12, and "Talk Some" at #63.
Cyrus' third studio album, Storm in the Heartland
, was released in 1994. The album was his final album he recorded for PolyGram, as they closed their doors in 1995. The album was not as successful as its preceders. It only reached #11 on the Country albums chart, and only the title track made the Top 40 of the Country singles chart. "Deja Blue" was the second single released, however, it only managed to chart to #66, and the third and final single, "One Last Thrill", failed to chart at all.
The album only managed to be certified Gold in the U.S. Before Cyrus started on his next album, he was transferred to Mercury Nashville
.
Also in 1994, Cyrus contributed the song "Pictures Don’t Lie" to the AIDS
benefit album Red Hot + Country
produced by the Red Hot Organization
.
Cyrus' most critically acclaimed album was 1996's, Trail of Tears
on Mercury Records. The album debuted at #20 on the Country chart when released. Only two songs made the cut to radio, although neither one hit the Top 60. The title track and "Three Little Words" were released reaching #69, and #65 respectively. The album failed to reach any certification, and was on and off the charts after only four weeks.
Mercury Nashville released Shot Full of Love
in 1998. The album became his lowest-peaking album, debuting at #32. The first single, "Under the Hood", failed to chart, "Time for Letting Go" hit #70, "Busy Man
" charted #3, and "I Give My Heart to You" reached #41. After the single fell from the charts, Cyrus left Mercury's roster and signed with Monument Records
in 1999.
His debut album for Monument, Southern Rain
, was released in 2000. It debuted at #13 on the Country albums chart and #102 on the Billboard 200. Five singles were released and all five charted. The lead-off single, "You Won't Be Lonely Now", was the highest peaking single from the album, charting to #17. Other singles include "We the People" (#60), "Burn Down the Trailer Park" (#43), "Crazy 'Bout You Baby" (#58), and the title track (#45).
and The Other Side
, were released in 2003. The first album debuted and peaked at a low #56 on the Country album charts. Three singles were released, however, only the final single charted. "Bread Alone", "What Else Is There", and "Back to Memphis" were released, where "Back to Memphis" charted to #60.
The second Christian album, The Other Side, was recorded while Cyrus filmed his PAX series, Doc
. It debuted at #5 on the Top Christian Albums chart, #18 Top Country Albums, and #131 on Billboard 200. Two of three singles charted, "Face of God" (#54) and "The Other Side" (#45), while "Always Sixteen" failed to chart at all.
was Billy Ray's first country album since 2000s Southern Rain. As with its preceding albums, it too, was recorded on a new record label: New Door/UMe Records. It was released while Cyrus was filming the show Hannah Montana
. Wanna Be Your Joe made it to #24 on the Country charts and #113 on the all-genre charts. The album initially sold well, but no hit-single was released. The title track was released as the first single, and was followed by "I Want My Mullet Back", both of which were ignored by country radio. Although not released as a single, a music video was made for the track "Stand", a duet with daughter Miley Cyrus
.
Also in 2006, Billy Ray appeared with metal-rock group Metal Skool
(now Steel Panther
), and performed several songs including "Rebel Yell
" by Billy Idol
, and the song "I Want My Mullet Back", which appears on Wanna Be Your Joe.
He also sang "The Star Spangled Banner
" at Game 5 of the 2006 World Series
in St. Louis, Missouri.
. Cyrus was partnered with Karina Smirnoff
. As the show began to air, Cyrus was instantly a fan favorite. Cyrus and Smirnoff made it to the semi-finals where they finished in 5th place.
From his exposure on Dancing with the Stars and Hannah Montana, his record label pushed up the release date a month in advance of his new album. Home at Last was released in July 2007 on Walt Disney Records
. It debuted at #3 on the country charts, making it Cyrus' first Top 5 entry since It Won't Be the Last debuted at #1 in 1993. Beginning sales for the album were very strong, however, the album failed to be certified. The single, "Ready, Set, Don't Go
", was initially released as a solo single. The solo version made it to #33 on the Hot Country Songs chart.
In October 2007, Cyrus and daughter Miley Cyrus, performed a duet version of the song on Dancing with the Stars. The duet of the song debuted at #27 on the Country charts and eventually peaked at #4 in 2008; giving Billy Ray his first Top 5 single since "Busy Man" in 1999, as well as Miley's first Top 5 on any Billboard chart.
Cyrus was a part of the Disney collection, Country Sings Disney
in 2008. Two of his songs, "Ready, Set, Don't Go" and the Sheryl Crow
penned song, "Real Gone
" appeared on the album. Billy Ray's version of "Real Gone" was also made into a music video that is in rotation on both CMT
and GAC
; the song also appears on Back to Tennessee
.
, entitled Back to Tennessee
. The album was originally planned to be released on October 21, 2008, but was pushed back to November 18. When the album was not released, it was announced for a January 13, 2009 release. The first single, "Somebody Said a Prayer
", debuted at #53 in August 2008 and reached #33 in November of that year. On March 14, 2009, the albums title track debuted at #59 on the country singles chart and a month later on April 7, Back to Tennessee was released. The song only charted to #47 after 11 weeks. A third single, "A Good Day", debuted at #60 on the country charts for the chart week of September 5, 2009.
It was less successful in its first week out as Home at Last. It only reached #13 on the charts and only sold approximately 14,000 copies in its opening week. The albums release date coincided with the release of Hannah Montana: The Movie
. The song "Back to Tennessee" was included on the movies soundtrack
, as well as a duet with Miley Cyrus
, entitled "Butterfly Fly Away
". The latter song would peak at #56 on the Billboard Hot 100
and at #50 and Canadian Hot 100
.
On November 12, 2008, Billy Ray and Miley presented the "Song of the Year" award at the 42nd Annual Country Music Association Awards
. Prior to the award show, both Billy Ray and Miley performed on Good Morning America
. In December 2008, Cyrus made a cameo in Metro Station's
video, "Seventeen Forever
".
Shortly after the chart debut of Back to Tennessees third single, "A Good Day", Cyrus and Lyric Street Records parted ways after only one album.
Cyrus, Phil Vassar
, Jeffrey Steele
and John Waite
then formed a new supergroup together in early 2009 called Brother Clyde. On Twitter
, Cyrus confirmed the supergroup, saying they just cut the first single from the new album, Lately.
On June 30, 2010. Cyrus released on his Facebook
information about the new alternative rock
group, Brother Clyde
, with the old members substituted by Samantha Maloney
, Jamie Miller, Dan Knight and Dave Henning. He also stated that their single, "Lately", was available on iTunes
and that their debut album would be out on August 10, 2010.
, and announced the release of his new solo patriotic album, entitled I'm American. Initially scheduled to be released in November 2010, it was pushed back to a May 24, 2011 release with a re-recording of "Some Gave All" that featured guest vocals from Darryl Worley
, Jamey Johnson
and Craig Morgan
being released as the lead-off single. However, in April 2011, the single was changed to "Runway Lights". I'm American
was released on June 28, 2011. A second single, "Nineteen", was released in August 2011. The song entered the Hot Country Songs chart for the week of October 8, 2011, where it debuted at number 58. It is Cyrus' first charted single since "A Good Day" in 2009.
's 2001 film Mulholland Drive
as Gene, a pool cleaner who had been having an affair with the wife of Adam Kesher (Justin Theroux). In 2001, Cyrus played the lead role on the PAX (now ION Television) comedy-drama Doc
, which became the network's highest-rated show. In 2005, Cyrus expanded his acting career in a stage production of Annie Get Your Gun
in Toronto
, appearing in the role of Frank Butler
.
Cyrus' television credits include The Nanny
, Diagnosis Murder
, Love Boat, The Next Wave, and TNN’s 18 Wheels Of Justice. In 2004, he guest-starred as a limo driver in the episode "The Power of Love" of the Canadian teen drama Degrassi: The Next Generation
. Cyrus has also been the subject of many television specials that detail his rise to fame and his career. These include two ABC
documentaries, Billy Ray Cyrus: Dreams Come True and Billy Ray Cyrus: A Year on the Road, a VH1
exclusive, as well as the TNN specials I Give My Heart To You, and The Life and Times of Billy Ray Cyrus. In late 2005, Cyrus and his daughter Miley Cyrus
began co-starring in the Disney Channel
original television series, Hannah Montana
, which premiered on March 24, 2006.
In March 2007, Cyrus joined several other celebrities to take part in the fourth season of the US version of Dancing with the Stars
. He and his partner Karina Smirnoff
, were eliminated in the eighth week (May 8, 2007) after having also placed in the "bottom two" the week before.
Cyrus also starred in Jackie Chan
's movie The Spy Next Door
. It was shot in Albuquerque, New Mexico
and released in January 2010.
Cyrus sits on the advisory board of the Parents Television Council
.
In 2010, it was announced that he and his son Trace Cyrus
would take part in a new Syfy
reality series called UFO: Unbelievably Freakin' Obvious.
.
On December 28, 1993, he married Leticia "Tish" Cyrus, née Finley. Together they have three children: daughters Miley Ray
(born Destiny Hope in 1992) and Noah Lindsey
(born 2000), and son Braison Chance (born 1994). He also has two adopted stepchildren from Finley's previous marriage: Brandi (born 1987); and Trace
(born 1989), now a singer/guitarist for Metro Station
. He also has a son, Christopher Cody (born 1992), from a previous relationship with Kristin Luckey, who raised him in South Carolina
. Cyrus adopted Brandi and Trace when they were young children. In a 2004 interview on ABC News: Primetime
, Cyrus stated that daughter Miley (conceived with Finley) and son Christopher (conceived with Luckey) were both born in 1992, at which time Cyrus was unmarried, and that his marriage to Finley the following year when she was pregnant with their son was secret and against his record company's advice.
The family lived on a 500 acres (2 km²) farm in Thompson's Station
, outside of Nashville, Tennessee
before moving to Los Angeles
for the filming of Hannah Montana
. Cyrus' other daughter Brandi had a role in a Hannah Montana episode "Yet Another Side of Me" as Customer #1 and in the season 4 episode "Been Here All Along" as the Guitarist during the military tribute.
On October 26, 2010, Cyrus filed for divorce from his wife in Tennessee, citing irreconcilable differences. In a statement made to People
the next day announcing the split, the couple said, "As you can imagine, this is a very difficult time for our family... We are trying to work through some personal matters. We appreciate your thoughts and prayers."
However, on March 18, 2011, Cyrus announced on The View that he had dropped the divorce.
(1992) It Won't Be the Last
(1993) Storm in the Heartland
(1994) Trail of Tears
(1996) Shot Full of Love
(1998) Southern Rain
(2000) Time Flies
(2003) The Other Side
(2003) Wanna Be Your Joe
(2006) Home at Last (2007)
Back to Tennessee
(2009) I'm American
(2011)
Compilation albums The Best of Billy Ray Cyrus: Cover to Cover
(1997) Achy Breaky Heart (2001)
20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection
(2003) The Definitive Collection
(2004) The Collection (2005)
Love Songs
(2008) iTunes Live from London (EP) (2009)
The Best of Billy Ray Cyrus (2009)
Icon
(2011)
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
singer, songwriter, actor and philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
, who helped make country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
a worldwide phenomenon. Having released twelve studio albums and forty-four singles since 1992, he is best known for his Number One single "Achy Breaky Heart
Achy Breaky Heart
"Achy Breaky Heart" is a hit country music song written by Don Von Tress. Originally titled "Don't Tell My Heart", its name was later changed to "Achy Breaky Heart" and was recorded by Billy Ray Cyrus on his 1992 album Some Gave All. As Cyrus' debut single and signature song, it made him famous and...
", which 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. Thanks to the video of this hit, the linedance catapulted into the mainstream, becoming a worldwide craze. Cyrus, a multi-platinum selling recording artist
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
, has scored a total of eight top-ten singles on the Billboard Country Songs
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
chart. His most successful album to date is the debut of Some Gave All
Some Gave All
-Album:-End of decade charts:-Sales and Certifications:-Singles:-Other charted songs:- Personnel :*Billy Ray Cyrus - vocals, rhythm guitar*Greg Fletcher - drums*Corky Holbrook - bass, vocals*Michael J...
, which has been certified 9× Multi-Platinum in the United States and is the longest time spent by a debut artist at Number One on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
(17 consecutive weeks) and most consecutive chart-topping weeks in the SoundScan era. It's the only album (from any genre) in the SoundScan era to log 17 consecutive weeks at Number One and is also the top-ranking debut album by a male country artist. It ranked 43 weeks in the top 10, a total topped by only one country album in history, Ropin' The Wind
Ropin' the Wind
Ropin' the Wind is the third studio album by American country music artist Garth Brooks. It was released on September 10, 1991 and was his first studio album to debut at #1 the Billboard 200 chart and the Top Country Albums chart...
by Garth Brooks
Garth Brooks
Troyal Garth Brooks , best known as Garth Brooks, is an American country music artist who helped make country music a worldwide phenomenon. His eponymous first album was released in 1989 and peaked at number 2 in the US country album chart while climbing to number 13 on the Billboard 200 album chart...
. Some Gave All was also the first debut album to enter at the number 1 in the Billboard Country Albums. The album has also sold more than 20 million copies worldwide and is the Best-selling debut album of all time for a solo male artist. Some Gave All
Some Gave All
-Album:-End of decade charts:-Sales and Certifications:-Singles:-Other charted songs:- Personnel :*Billy Ray Cyrus - vocals, rhythm guitar*Greg Fletcher - drums*Corky Holbrook - bass, vocals*Michael J...
was also the best-selling album of the 1992 in the US with 4,832,000 copies. In his career, he has released 35 charted singles, of which 15 charted in the Top 40.
From 2001 to 2004, Cyrus starred in the television show Doc
Doc (TV series)
Doc is a medical drama/family drama with strong Christian undertones starring Billy Ray Cyrus as Dr. Clint "Doc" Cassidy, a Montana doctor who takes a job in a New York City medical clinic. It ran from March 11, 2001 to November 28, 2004 on PAX...
. The show was about a country doctor who moved from Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. In late 2005, he began to co-star in the Disney Channel
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
series Hannah Montana
Hannah Montana
Hannah Montana is an American television series, which debuted on March 24, 2006 on the Disney Channel. The series focuses on a girl who lives a double life as an average teenage school girl named Miley Stewart by day and a famous pop singer named Hannah Montana by night, concealing her real...
with his daughter Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus
Miley Ray Cyrus is an American actress and pop singer-songwriter. She achieved wide fame for her role as Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel sitcom Hannah Montana....
.
Early life
William Ray Cyrus was born in Flatwoods, KentuckyFlatwoods, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 7,605 people, 3,114 households, and 2,282 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,691.9 people per square mile . There were 3,338 housing units at an average density of 742.6 per square mile...
to Ron Cyrus
Ron Cyrus
Ronald Ray "Ron" Cyrus was a Democrat politician and public servant in Greenup County, Kentucky. He was the father of American country music singer/actor Billy Ray Cyrus and the grandfather of Christopher Cyrus, Miley Cyrus, Braison Cyrus and Noah Cyrus.- Early life :Cyrus was born in Flatwoods,...
, a politician, and his wife, the former Ruth Ann Casto. His grandfather was a Pentecostal preacher
Preacher
Preacher is a term for someone who preaches sermons or gives homilies. A preacher is distinct from a theologian by focusing on the communication rather than the development of doctrine. Others see preaching and theology as being intertwined...
. Growing up, he was surrounded by bluegrass and gospel music from his family. His father, a right-handed man, played guitar. Billy Ray, on the other hand, was left-handed. He tried to play his father's guitar, but could never learn. Cyrus attended Georgetown College on a baseball scholarship before switching his focus to music. During the 1980s, Cyrus played in the bar band Sly Dog before getting a record deal with Mercury Nashville Records.
The Mercury Records years
While trying to get a recording contractRecording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, Cyrus was referred to as "too country" for LA, and "too rock" for Nashville. However, in 1990, he was signed to PolyGram/Mercury. Cyrus began to record and write music for his debut album, released in 1992.
Some Gave All
Some Gave All
-Album:-End of decade charts:-Sales and Certifications:-Singles:-Other charted songs:- Personnel :*Billy Ray Cyrus - vocals, rhythm guitar*Greg Fletcher - drums*Corky Holbrook - bass, vocals*Michael J...
was released in 1992. The album became an instant chart and sales successor. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums, Billboard 200, Canadian Country Albums chart, Canadian Albums Chart
Canadian Albums Chart
The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS...
, and on the charts of several other foreign countries. The album featured four consecutive Top 40 singles on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart from 1992 to 1993; including an album cut, the title track. The most successful single released was "Achy Breaky Heart
Achy Breaky Heart
"Achy Breaky Heart" is a hit country music song written by Don Von Tress. Originally titled "Don't Tell My Heart", its name was later changed to "Achy Breaky Heart" and was recorded by Billy Ray Cyrus on his 1992 album Some Gave All. As Cyrus' debut single and signature song, it made him famous and...
". It reached #1 on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and was also a hit on the pop charts
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, where it reached #4. Although the song was the only number one single, "Could've Been Me
Could've Been Me
"Could've Been Me" is the title of a song written by Reed Nielsen and Monty Powell, and recorded by American country music artist Billy Ray Cyrus. It was released in July 1992 as the second single from his multi-platinum selling debut album, Some Gave All. The song reached number 2 on the U.S...
" reached #2, "Wher'm I Gonna Live?" reached #23, and "She's Not Cryin' Anymore
She's Not Cryin' Anymore
"She's Not Cryin' Anymore" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Billy Ray Cyrus. It was released in January 1993 as the fourth single from his debut album, Some Gave All. It debuted at number 57 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks...
" reached #6.
Some Gave All was certified 9× Multi-Platinum in the United States in 1996, and has sold over 20 million copies worldwide.
It Won't Be the Last
It Won't Be the Last is the second album released by country music artist Billy Ray Cyrus. Certified platinum by the RIAA, this album produced four singles for Cyrus on the Hot Country Songs charts: "In the Heart of a Woman", "Somebody New", "Words by Heart", and "Talk Some", which reached number...
. The album featured four singles, however, only three made the Top 40. The album debuted at #1 on the Country charts, and #3 on the Billboard 200. By the end of the year, It Won't Be the Last was certified Platinum by the RIAA. The highest charting single, the lead-off single, "In the Heart of a Woman
In the Heart of a Woman
"In the Heart of a Woman" is the title of a song written by Keith Hinton and Brett Cartwright, and recorded by American country music singer Billy Ray Cyrus. It was released in June 1993 as the lead-off single from his second album, It Won't Be the Last...
", charted to #3, with "Somebody New
Somebody New (song)
"Somebody New" is the title of a song written by Alex Harvey and Mike Curtis, and recorded by American country music singer, Billy Ray Cyrus. It was released in September 1993 as the second single from his platinum-selling second album, It Won't Be the Last. The song was the follow-up to "In the...
" charting to #9, "Words By Heart" at #12, and "Talk Some" at #63.
Cyrus' third studio album, Storm in the Heartland
Storm in the Heartland
Storm in the Heartland is the third album from country music artist Billy Ray Cyrus. Released in 1994 on Mercury Records, it produced the singles "Storm in the Heartland", "Deja Blue", and "One Last Thrill", the first two of which entered the Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts...
, was released in 1994. The album was his final album he recorded for PolyGram, as they closed their doors in 1995. The album was not as successful as its preceders. It only reached #11 on the Country albums chart, and only the title track made the Top 40 of the Country singles chart. "Deja Blue" was the second single released, however, it only managed to chart to #66, and the third and final single, "One Last Thrill", failed to chart at all.
The album only managed to be certified Gold in the U.S. Before Cyrus started on his next album, he was transferred to Mercury Nashville
Universal Music Group Nashville
Universal Music Group Nashville is Universal Music Group's country music subsidiary. Some of the labels in this group include MCA Nashville Records, Mercury Nashville Records, and Lost Highway Records...
.
Also in 1994, Cyrus contributed the song "Pictures Don’t Lie" to the AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
benefit album Red Hot + Country
Red Hot + Country
Red Hot + Country was the follow-up to No Alternative in the Red Hot Series of compilation albums, a series produced to raise awareness and money to fight AIDS/HIV and related health and social issues...
produced by the Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization is a not-for-profit, 501 3, international organization dedicated to fighting AIDS through pop culture.Since its inception in 1989, over 400 artists, producers and directors have contributed to over 15 compilation albums, related television programs and media events to raise...
.
Cyrus' most critically acclaimed album was 1996's, Trail of Tears
Trail of Tears (Billy Ray Cyrus album)
Trail of Tears is country singer Billy Ray Cyrus's 4th studio album. It was released on January 1, 1996, and is the follow-up album to the 1994 album Storm in the Heartland. It was Cyrus' first release in over two years. Two singles were released: the title track and "Three Little Words", which...
on Mercury Records. The album debuted at #20 on the Country chart when released. Only two songs made the cut to radio, although neither one hit the Top 60. The title track and "Three Little Words" were released reaching #69, and #65 respectively. The album failed to reach any certification, and was on and off the charts after only four weeks.
Mercury Nashville released Shot Full of Love
Shot Full of Love
Shot Full of Love is an album, released in 1998, by country music artist Billy Ray Cyrus. It features the single "Busy Man", which peaked at number 3 in early 1999, becoming Cyrus's first Top Ten country hit since "Somebody New" in 1993...
in 1998. The album became his lowest-peaking album, debuting at #32. The first single, "Under the Hood", failed to chart, "Time for Letting Go" hit #70, "Busy Man
Busy Man
"Busy Man" is the title of a song written by Bob Regan and George Teren. It was recorded by American country music artist Billy Ray Cyrus on his 1998 album Shot Full of Love, from which it was released in October of that year as the album's third single. The song reached a peak of number 3 on the U.S...
" charted #3, and "I Give My Heart to You" reached #41. After the single fell from the charts, Cyrus left Mercury's roster and signed with Monument Records
Monument Records
Monument Records was an American record label, Washington, D.C. named for the Washington Monument, founded in 1958, by Fred Foster and Buddy Deane . Buddy Deane soon left the company, and in the early 60's bought KOTN in Pine Bluff, Arkansas where he retired to until his death...
in 1999.
His debut album for Monument, Southern Rain
Southern Rain
Southern Rain is an album, released in 2000, by country music artist Billy Ray Cyrus. It was his first album for the Monument Records label. The album produced five singles on the Hot Country Songs charts, including the number 17 "You Won't Be Lonely Now"...
, was released in 2000. It debuted at #13 on the Country albums chart and #102 on the Billboard 200. Five singles were released and all five charted. The lead-off single, "You Won't Be Lonely Now", was the highest peaking single from the album, charting to #17. Other singles include "We the People" (#60), "Burn Down the Trailer Park" (#43), "Crazy 'Bout You Baby" (#58), and the title track (#45).
Move to Christian music
After the singles from Southern Rain finished their chart runs, Cyrus began to record two Christian albums. Both albums, Time FliesTime Flies (Billy Ray Cyrus album)
Time Flies is an album, released in 2003, by country music artist Billy Ray Cyrus. His only release for the Madacy label, it produced the singles "What Else Is There", "Bread Alone", and "Back to Memphis"...
and The Other Side
The Other Side (Billy Ray Cyrus album)
The Other Side is a Country/Gospel/Christian album by country singer Billy Ray Cyrus. It is also the only album he recorded for the Word Records label. Three singles were released from the album, "Always Sixteen", "Face of God", and the title track...
, were released in 2003. The first album debuted and peaked at a low #56 on the Country album charts. Three singles were released, however, only the final single charted. "Bread Alone", "What Else Is There", and "Back to Memphis" were released, where "Back to Memphis" charted to #60.
The second Christian album, The Other Side, was recorded while Cyrus filmed his PAX series, Doc
Doc (TV series)
Doc is a medical drama/family drama with strong Christian undertones starring Billy Ray Cyrus as Dr. Clint "Doc" Cassidy, a Montana doctor who takes a job in a New York City medical clinic. It ran from March 11, 2001 to November 28, 2004 on PAX...
. It debuted at #5 on the Top Christian Albums chart, #18 Top Country Albums, and #131 on Billboard 200. Two of three singles charted, "Face of God" (#54) and "The Other Side" (#45), while "Always Sixteen" failed to chart at all.
Disney Entertainment
The album Wanna Be Your JoeWanna Be Your Joe
Wanna Be Your Joe is the ninth studio album released from country music artist Billy Ray Cyrus. Released on July 17, 2006 on New Door Records and UMe, it was Cyrus' first country album since 2000's Southern Rain. It is also his first album of non-gospel music in three years. From Billy Ray's...
was Billy Ray's first country album since 2000s Southern Rain. As with its preceding albums, it too, was recorded on a new record label: New Door/UMe Records. It was released while Cyrus was filming the show Hannah Montana
Hannah Montana
Hannah Montana is an American television series, which debuted on March 24, 2006 on the Disney Channel. The series focuses on a girl who lives a double life as an average teenage school girl named Miley Stewart by day and a famous pop singer named Hannah Montana by night, concealing her real...
. Wanna Be Your Joe made it to #24 on the Country charts and #113 on the all-genre charts. The album initially sold well, but no hit-single was released. The title track was released as the first single, and was followed by "I Want My Mullet Back", both of which were ignored by country radio. Although not released as a single, a music video was made for the track "Stand", a duet with daughter Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus
Miley Ray Cyrus is an American actress and pop singer-songwriter. She achieved wide fame for her role as Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel sitcom Hannah Montana....
.
Also in 2006, Billy Ray appeared with metal-rock group Metal Skool
Metal Skool
Steel Panther is a glam metal band from Los Angeles, California mostly known for their profane and humorous lyrics as well as their exaggerated on-stage personas...
(now Steel Panther
Steel Panther
Steel Panther is a glam metal band from Los Angeles, California mostly known for their profane and humorous lyrics as well as their exaggerated on-stage personas...
), and performed several songs including "Rebel Yell
Rebel Yell (song)
"Rebel Yell" is the first song on the Billy Idol album of the same name. When first released in 1984, it charted outside the UK Top 40, but a re-issue in 1985 reached #6. It did not fare as well in the US, only reaching #46...
" by Billy Idol
Billy Idol
William Michael Albert Broad , better known by his stage name Billy Idol, is an English rock musician. A member of the Bromley Contingent of Sex Pistols fans, Idol first achieved fame in the punk rock era as a member of the band Generation X...
, and the song "I Want My Mullet Back", which appears on Wanna Be Your Joe.
He also sang "The Star Spangled Banner
The Star-Spangled Banner
"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States of America. The lyrics come from "Defence of Fort McHenry", a poem written in 1814 by the 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet, Francis Scott Key, after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by the British Royal Navy ships...
" at Game 5 of the 2006 World Series
2006 World Series
The 2006 World Series, the 102nd edition of Major League Baseball's championship series, began on October 21 and ended on October 27, and matched the American League champion Detroit Tigers against the National League champion St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals won the Series in five games, taking...
in St. Louis, Missouri.
Career re-launch
In mid-2007, Cyrus was a celebrity contestant on the 4th season of the show Dancing with the StarsDancing with the Stars (U.S. season 4)
The fourth season of the American edition of Dancing with the Stars premiered on March 19, 2007 and aired until May 22, 2007.To avoid direct competition with Fox Broadcasting Company's American Idol, Dancing with the Stars changed time slots from the previous season. In the fourth season, the...
. Cyrus was partnered with Karina Smirnoff
Karina Smirnoff
Karina Smirnoff is a Ukrainian professional ballroom dancer. She is best known for her appearances on Dancing with the Stars, where she held a runner-up title, a semi-final title, and several quarter-final titles...
. As the show began to air, Cyrus was instantly a fan favorite. Cyrus and Smirnoff made it to the semi-finals where they finished in 5th place.
From his exposure on Dancing with the Stars and Hannah Montana, his record label pushed up the release date a month in advance of his new album. Home at Last was released in July 2007 on Walt Disney Records
Walt Disney Records
Walt Disney Records is a family music record label owned by the Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Records was formed in 1956 as Disneyland Records. Before that time, Disney recordings were licensed out to a variety of other labels such as . It was Walt Disney’s brother Roy O...
. It debuted at #3 on the country charts, making it Cyrus' first Top 5 entry since It Won't Be the Last debuted at #1 in 1993. Beginning sales for the album were very strong, however, the album failed to be certified. The single, "Ready, Set, Don't Go
Ready, Set, Don't Go
"Ready, Set, Don't Go" is a country song performed by American recording artists Billy Ray Cyrus and Miley Cyrus. It was released as the lead single from Home at Last, Cyrus' tenth studio album. It was sent to country radio stations on July 11, 2007 with a radio edit as a B-side. The song is a soft...
", was initially released as a solo single. The solo version made it to #33 on the Hot Country Songs chart.
In October 2007, Cyrus and daughter Miley Cyrus, performed a duet version of the song on Dancing with the Stars. The duet of the song debuted at #27 on the Country charts and eventually peaked at #4 in 2008; giving Billy Ray his first Top 5 single since "Busy Man" in 1999, as well as Miley's first Top 5 on any Billboard chart.
Cyrus was a part of the Disney collection, Country Sings Disney
Country Sings Disney
Country Sings Disney is a compilation featuring the biggest stars in country music. Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Billy Ray Cyrus, Martina McBride and several others appear on the album. It was released on July 8, 2008 via Walt Disney Records. The album debuted at #15 on the U.S...
in 2008. Two of his songs, "Ready, Set, Don't Go" and the Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Suzanne Crow is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, folk, hip hop, country and pop...
penned song, "Real Gone
Real Gone
Real Gone is an album by Tom Waits, released October 3, 2004 in Europe, and October 5 in United States on the ANTI- label.The album features some of the few political songs Waits has ever written, the most explicit being "Day After Tomorrow", a song Waits has described as an "elliptical" protest...
" appeared on the album. Billy Ray's version of "Real Gone" was also made into a music video that is in rotation on both CMT
CMT
- Medicine :* California mastitis test* Certified Massage Therapist* Cervical motion tenderness, a sign of pelvic inflammatory disease* Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease* Chemically modified tetracyclines* Circus Movement Tachycardia...
and GAC
Great American Country
Great American Country , is a Nashville, Tennessee-based country music cable television network.-History:The station launched December 31, 1995 and Garth Brooks' video "The Thunder Rolls" was the first video to air on GAC....
; the song also appears on Back to Tennessee
Back to Tennessee
- Personnel :* Steve Brewster — drums* Tom Bukovac — electric guitar* Lisa Cochran — background vocals* Perry Coleman — background vocals* Eric Darken — percussion* Shannon Forrest — drums* Kenny Greenberg — electric guitar* Aubrey Haynie — fiddle...
.
New label and newfound chart success
In late-2008, his website confirmed that a new studio album would be released by the end of the year from Lyric Street RecordsLyric Street Records
Lyric Street Records was an American record label specializing in country music. The label was part of the Disney Music Group, owned by the The Walt Disney Company. President Randy Goodman, formerly a general manager for RCA Records, founded the label in 1997...
, entitled Back to Tennessee
Back to Tennessee
- Personnel :* Steve Brewster — drums* Tom Bukovac — electric guitar* Lisa Cochran — background vocals* Perry Coleman — background vocals* Eric Darken — percussion* Shannon Forrest — drums* Kenny Greenberg — electric guitar* Aubrey Haynie — fiddle...
. The album was originally planned to be released on October 21, 2008, but was pushed back to November 18. When the album was not released, it was announced for a January 13, 2009 release. The first single, "Somebody Said a Prayer
Somebody Said a Prayer
"Somebody Said a Prayer" is the first single from Billy Ray Cyrus' debut album for Lyric Street Records, Back to Tennessee. The song first charted on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart at number 53 for the chart week of August 16, 2008...
", debuted at #53 in August 2008 and reached #33 in November of that year. On March 14, 2009, the albums title track debuted at #59 on the country singles chart and a month later on April 7, Back to Tennessee was released. The song only charted to #47 after 11 weeks. A third single, "A Good Day", debuted at #60 on the country charts for the chart week of September 5, 2009.
It was less successful in its first week out as Home at Last. It only reached #13 on the charts and only sold approximately 14,000 copies in its opening week. The albums release date coincided with the release of Hannah Montana: The Movie
Hannah Montana: The Movie
Hannah Montana: The Movie is a 2009 Walt Disney Pictures musical comedy film based on the Disney Channel show Hannah Montana which was released on April 10, 2009, by Walt Disney Pictures, it was the second Disney Channel series to have a movie for Walt Disney Pictures. The film was directed by...
. The song "Back to Tennessee" was included on the movies soundtrack
Hannah Montana: The Movie (soundtrack)
Hannah Montana: The Movie is the soundtrack for the film of the same name. The film is an adaptation of the popular Disney Channel original series Hannah Montana, which first aired in 2006. In the television series and film, American singer–songwriter and actress Miley Cyrus portrays Miley Stewart,...
, as well as a duet with Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus
Miley Ray Cyrus is an American actress and pop singer-songwriter. She achieved wide fame for her role as Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel sitcom Hannah Montana....
, entitled "Butterfly Fly Away
Butterfly Fly Away
"Butterfly Fly Away" is a country duet performed by American actors and recording artists Miley Cyrus and Billy Ray Cyrus. The song was first heard in the 2009 film Hannah Montana: The Movie, in which both Cyruses star, and was subsequently released on the film's soundtrack. An extended version is...
". The latter song would peak at #56 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and at #50 and Canadian Hot 100
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...
.
On November 12, 2008, Billy Ray and Miley presented the "Song of the Year" award at the 42nd Annual Country Music Association Awards
Country Music Association Awards
The Country Music Association Awards, also known as the CMA Awards, or the CMAs, and not to be confused with the ACM Awards, are voted on by business members of the Country Music Association. The first CMA awards were presented at an untelevised ceremony in Nashville's Municipal Auditorium in 1967...
. Prior to the award show, both Billy Ray and Miley performed on Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
. In December 2008, Cyrus made a cameo in Metro Station's
Metro Station (band)
Metro Station is an American pop rock band that formed in Los Angeles by Mason Musso and Trace Cyrus. In late 2006, the band signed a recording contract with Columbia/Red Ink. They are best known for their Top 10 Billboard hit single "Shake It" from their self-titled debut album...
video, "Seventeen Forever
Seventeen Forever
"Seventeen Forever" is the fourth single from scene pop group Metro Station's self-titled debut album. The single was released on December 13, 2008, and has charted on three major Billboard charts....
".
Shortly after the chart debut of Back to Tennessees third single, "A Good Day", Cyrus and Lyric Street Records parted ways after only one album.
Cyrus, Phil Vassar
Phil Vassar
Phil Vassar is an American country music artist. Vassar made his debut on the country music scene in the late 1990s, co-writing singles for several country artists, including Tim McGraw , Jo Dee Messina , Collin Raye , and Alan Jackson Phil Vassar (born May 28, 1964 in Lynchburg, Virginia) is an...
, Jeffrey Steele
Jeffrey Steele
Jeffrey LeVasseur is an American country music singer and songwriter, more commonly known by the name Jeffrey Steele...
and John Waite
John Waite
John Charles Waite is an English rock singer and musician. He was lead vocalist for The Babys and Bad English. As a solo artist, he scored several international hits, including 1984's "Missing You", a top ten hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart, reaching #1 in the...
then formed a new supergroup together in early 2009 called Brother Clyde. On Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
, Cyrus confirmed the supergroup, saying they just cut the first single from the new album, Lately.
On June 30, 2010. Cyrus released on his Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
information about the new alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
group, Brother Clyde
Brother Clyde
Brother Clyde is an alternative rock musical supergroup, formed in 2009 by country music singer Billy Ray Cyrus. The band initially was to consist of Cyrus, Jeffrey Steele, John Waite and Phil Vassar...
, with the old members substituted by Samantha Maloney
Samantha Maloney
Samantha Maloney is an American musician best known for playing in the bands Hole, Mötley Crüe, Eagles of Death Metal and in Peaches' live band "The Herms".-Early career:...
, Jamie Miller, Dan Knight and Dave Henning. He also stated that their single, "Lately", was available on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
and that their debut album would be out on August 10, 2010.
Post-Brother Clyde
In late 2010, Cyrus suspended his activities in the band Brother ClydeBrother Clyde
Brother Clyde is an alternative rock musical supergroup, formed in 2009 by country music singer Billy Ray Cyrus. The band initially was to consist of Cyrus, Jeffrey Steele, John Waite and Phil Vassar...
, and announced the release of his new solo patriotic album, entitled I'm American. Initially scheduled to be released in November 2010, it was pushed back to a May 24, 2011 release with a re-recording of "Some Gave All" that featured guest vocals from Darryl Worley
Darryl Worley
Darryl Wade Worley is an American country music artist. Signed to DreamWorks Records Nashville in 2000, Worley released four albums for the label: Hard Rain Don't Last , I Miss My Friend , Have You Forgotten? , and Darryl Worley in 2004...
, Jamey Johnson
Jamey Johnson
Jamey Johnson is an American Grammy Award nominated country music artist. Signed to BNA Records in 2005, Johnson made his debut with his single "The Dollar," the title track to his 2006 album The Dollar...
and Craig Morgan
Craig Morgan
Craig Morgan Greer is an American country music artist. A veteran of the United States Army, Morgan began his musical career in 2000 on Atlantic Records, releasing his self-titled debut album for that label before the closure of its Nashville division in 2000...
being released as the lead-off single. However, in April 2011, the single was changed to "Runway Lights". I'm American
I'm American
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic, gave the album a three-out-of-five star rating. Erlewine said that Cyrus "sounds like a ruminative, mumbling Bruce Springsteen, so Billy Ray muscularly strums his guitar while rhapsodizing about the downtrodden working class." He also went on to say that I'm...
was released on June 28, 2011. A second single, "Nineteen", was released in August 2011. The song entered the Hot Country Songs chart for the week of October 8, 2011, where it debuted at number 58. It is Cyrus' first charted single since "A Good Day" in 2009.
Acting career
Cyrus starred in the 1999 independent film Radical Jack. He also had a small part in David LynchDavid Lynch
David Keith Lynch is an American filmmaker, television director, visual artist, musician and occasional actor. Known for his surrealist films, he has developed his own unique cinematic style, which has been dubbed "Lynchian", and which is characterized by its dream imagery and meticulous sound...
's 2001 film Mulholland Drive
Mulholland Drive (film)
Mulholland Drive is a 2001 American neo-noir psychological thriller written and directed by David Lynch, starring Justin Theroux, Naomi Watts, and Laura Harring. The surrealist film was highly acclaimed by many critics and earned Lynch the Prix de la mise en scène at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival...
as Gene, a pool cleaner who had been having an affair with the wife of Adam Kesher (Justin Theroux). In 2001, Cyrus played the lead role on the PAX (now ION Television) comedy-drama Doc
Doc (TV series)
Doc is a medical drama/family drama with strong Christian undertones starring Billy Ray Cyrus as Dr. Clint "Doc" Cassidy, a Montana doctor who takes a job in a New York City medical clinic. It ran from March 11, 2001 to November 28, 2004 on PAX...
, which became the network's highest-rated show. In 2005, Cyrus expanded his acting career in a stage production of Annie Get Your Gun
Annie Get Your Gun (musical)
Annie Get Your Gun is a musical with lyrics and music written by Irving Berlin and a book by Herbert Fields and his sister Dorothy Fields. The story is a fictionalized version of the life of Annie Oakley , who was a sharpshooter from Ohio, and her husband, Frank Butler.The 1946 Broadway production...
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, appearing in the role of Frank Butler
Frank E. Butler
Frank E. Butler was a marksman in Wild West variety shows. He was married to sharpshooter Annie Oakley. While his birth date is listed on his and Annie's U.S. Passport application as February 25, 1852, it is possible he was born in 1847.-Biography:Butler was born in county Longford, Ireland and...
.
Cyrus' television credits include The Nanny
The Nanny
Nanny may refer to:* Nanny, a child's caregiver* A grandmother * A Cajun word for godmother * A female goat* Nanny , a 1981–83 British drama series starring Wendy Craig* Nanny of the Maroons...
, Diagnosis Murder
Diagnosis Murder
Diagnosis: Murder is a mystery/medical/crime drama television series starring Dick Van Dyke as Dr. Mark Sloan, a medical doctor who solves crimes with the help of his son, a homicide detective played by his real-life son Barry Van Dyke. The series began as a spin-off of Jake and the Fatman...
, Love Boat, The Next Wave, and TNN’s 18 Wheels Of Justice. In 2004, he guest-starred as a limo driver in the episode "The Power of Love" of the Canadian teen drama Degrassi: The Next Generation
Degrassi: The Next Generation
Degrassi: The Next Generation is a Canadian teen drama television series set in the Degrassi universe, which was created by Linda Schuyler and Kit Hood in 1979. Degrassi is the fourth fictional series in the Degrassi franchise, and follows The Kids of Degrassi Street, Degrassi Junior High, and...
. Cyrus has also been the subject of many television specials that detail his rise to fame and his career. These include two ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
documentaries, Billy Ray Cyrus: Dreams Come True and Billy Ray Cyrus: A Year on the Road, a VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
exclusive, as well as the TNN specials I Give My Heart To You, and The Life and Times of Billy Ray Cyrus. In late 2005, Cyrus and his daughter Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus
Miley Ray Cyrus is an American actress and pop singer-songwriter. She achieved wide fame for her role as Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel sitcom Hannah Montana....
began co-starring in the Disney Channel
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
original television series, Hannah Montana
Hannah Montana
Hannah Montana is an American television series, which debuted on March 24, 2006 on the Disney Channel. The series focuses on a girl who lives a double life as an average teenage school girl named Miley Stewart by day and a famous pop singer named Hannah Montana by night, concealing her real...
, which premiered on March 24, 2006.
In March 2007, Cyrus joined several other celebrities to take part in the fourth season of the US version of Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars (US TV series)
Dancing with the Stars is a reality show airing on ABC in the United States, and CTV in Canada in 2011. The show is the American version of the British BBC television series Strictly Come Dancing...
. He and his partner Karina Smirnoff
Karina Smirnoff
Karina Smirnoff is a Ukrainian professional ballroom dancer. She is best known for her appearances on Dancing with the Stars, where she held a runner-up title, a semi-final title, and several quarter-final titles...
, were eliminated in the eighth week (May 8, 2007) after having also placed in the "bottom two" the week before.
Cyrus also starred in Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan, SBS, MBE is a Hong Kong actor, action choreographer, comedian, director, producer, martial artist, screenwriter, entrepreneur, singer and stunt performer. In his movies, he is known for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, use of improvised weapons, and innovative stunts...
's movie The Spy Next Door
The Spy Next Door
The Spy Next Door is a 2010 American spy comedy family film starring Jackie Chan, Amber Valletta, Billy Ray Cyrus and George Lopez. Filming started in late October in New Mexico and was finished in late December 2008. The film was released on January 15, 2010 in the United States. The film was...
. It was shot in Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
and released in January 2010.
Cyrus sits on the advisory board of the Parents Television Council
Parents Television Council
The Parents Television Council is a U.S. based advocacy group founded by conservative activist L. Brent Bozell III in 1995 using the National Legion of Decency as a model...
.
In 2010, it was announced that he and his son Trace Cyrus
Trace Cyrus
Trace Dempsey Cyrus is an American musician. He was the former guitarist, songwriter and vocalist of Metro Station before the band broke up. Currently, he is the owner of a clothing company called From Backseats to Bedrooms. Cyrus is the adopted son of country singer Billy Ray Cyrus...
would take part in a new Syfy
Syfy
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
reality series called UFO: Unbelievably Freakin' Obvious.
Personal life
From 1986 to 1991, Cyrus was married to Cindy Smith, with whom he co-wrote the songs "Wher'm I Gonna Live?" and "Some Gave All", both of which were featured on his 1992 debut album Some Gave AllSome Gave All
-Album:-End of decade charts:-Sales and Certifications:-Singles:-Other charted songs:- Personnel :*Billy Ray Cyrus - vocals, rhythm guitar*Greg Fletcher - drums*Corky Holbrook - bass, vocals*Michael J...
.
On December 28, 1993, he married Leticia "Tish" Cyrus, née Finley. Together they have three children: daughters Miley Ray
Miley Cyrus
Miley Ray Cyrus is an American actress and pop singer-songwriter. She achieved wide fame for her role as Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel sitcom Hannah Montana....
(born Destiny Hope in 1992) and Noah Lindsey
Noah Cyrus
Noah Lindsey Cyrus is an American child actress. Noah Cyrus followed the footsteps of older sister Miley Cyrus also an actress, and landed her first job portraying Gracie Herbert in television series Doc at age three...
(born 2000), and son Braison Chance (born 1994). He also has two adopted stepchildren from Finley's previous marriage: Brandi (born 1987); and Trace
Trace Cyrus
Trace Dempsey Cyrus is an American musician. He was the former guitarist, songwriter and vocalist of Metro Station before the band broke up. Currently, he is the owner of a clothing company called From Backseats to Bedrooms. Cyrus is the adopted son of country singer Billy Ray Cyrus...
(born 1989), now a singer/guitarist for Metro Station
Metro Station (band)
Metro Station is an American pop rock band that formed in Los Angeles by Mason Musso and Trace Cyrus. In late 2006, the band signed a recording contract with Columbia/Red Ink. They are best known for their Top 10 Billboard hit single "Shake It" from their self-titled debut album...
. He also has a son, Christopher Cody (born 1992), from a previous relationship with Kristin Luckey, who raised him in South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
. Cyrus adopted Brandi and Trace when they were young children. In a 2004 interview on ABC News: Primetime
Primetime (TV series)
Primetime is an American news magazine show which debuted on ABC in 1989 with co-hosts Sam Donaldson and Diane Sawyer and originally had the title Primetime Live.-Early history:...
, Cyrus stated that daughter Miley (conceived with Finley) and son Christopher (conceived with Luckey) were both born in 1992, at which time Cyrus was unmarried, and that his marriage to Finley the following year when she was pregnant with their son was secret and against his record company's advice.
The family lived on a 500 acres (2 km²) farm in Thompson's Station
Thompson's Station, Tennessee
Thompson's Station is a town in Williamson County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 1,283 at the 2000 census. It is the location of two places listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places: the Jacob Critz House and the Thomas L. Critz House.-Geography:Thompson's Station is...
, outside of Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
before moving to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
for the filming of Hannah Montana
Hannah Montana
Hannah Montana is an American television series, which debuted on March 24, 2006 on the Disney Channel. The series focuses on a girl who lives a double life as an average teenage school girl named Miley Stewart by day and a famous pop singer named Hannah Montana by night, concealing her real...
. Cyrus' other daughter Brandi had a role in a Hannah Montana episode "Yet Another Side of Me" as Customer #1 and in the season 4 episode "Been Here All Along" as the Guitarist during the military tribute.
On October 26, 2010, Cyrus filed for divorce from his wife in Tennessee, citing irreconcilable differences. In a statement made to People
People (magazine)
In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...
the next day announcing the split, the couple said, "As you can imagine, this is a very difficult time for our family... We are trying to work through some personal matters. We appreciate your thoughts and prayers."
However, on March 18, 2011, Cyrus announced on The View that he had dropped the divorce.
Discography
Studio albumsSome Gave All
-Album:-End of decade charts:-Sales and Certifications:-Singles:-Other charted songs:- Personnel :*Billy Ray Cyrus - vocals, rhythm guitar*Greg Fletcher - drums*Corky Holbrook - bass, vocals*Michael J...
(1992)
It Won't Be the Last
It Won't Be the Last is the second album released by country music artist Billy Ray Cyrus. Certified platinum by the RIAA, this album produced four singles for Cyrus on the Hot Country Songs charts: "In the Heart of a Woman", "Somebody New", "Words by Heart", and "Talk Some", which reached number...
(1993)
Storm in the Heartland
Storm in the Heartland is the third album from country music artist Billy Ray Cyrus. Released in 1994 on Mercury Records, it produced the singles "Storm in the Heartland", "Deja Blue", and "One Last Thrill", the first two of which entered the Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts...
(1994)
Trail of Tears (Billy Ray Cyrus album)
Trail of Tears is country singer Billy Ray Cyrus's 4th studio album. It was released on January 1, 1996, and is the follow-up album to the 1994 album Storm in the Heartland. It was Cyrus' first release in over two years. Two singles were released: the title track and "Three Little Words", which...
(1996)
Shot Full of Love
Shot Full of Love is an album, released in 1998, by country music artist Billy Ray Cyrus. It features the single "Busy Man", which peaked at number 3 in early 1999, becoming Cyrus's first Top Ten country hit since "Somebody New" in 1993...
(1998)
Southern Rain
Southern Rain is an album, released in 2000, by country music artist Billy Ray Cyrus. It was his first album for the Monument Records label. The album produced five singles on the Hot Country Songs charts, including the number 17 "You Won't Be Lonely Now"...
(2000)
Time Flies (Billy Ray Cyrus album)
Time Flies is an album, released in 2003, by country music artist Billy Ray Cyrus. His only release for the Madacy label, it produced the singles "What Else Is There", "Bread Alone", and "Back to Memphis"...
(2003)
The Other Side (Billy Ray Cyrus album)
The Other Side is a Country/Gospel/Christian album by country singer Billy Ray Cyrus. It is also the only album he recorded for the Word Records label. Three singles were released from the album, "Always Sixteen", "Face of God", and the title track...
(2003)
Wanna Be Your Joe
Wanna Be Your Joe is the ninth studio album released from country music artist Billy Ray Cyrus. Released on July 17, 2006 on New Door Records and UMe, it was Cyrus' first country album since 2000's Southern Rain. It is also his first album of non-gospel music in three years. From Billy Ray's...
(2006)
Back to Tennessee
- Personnel :* Steve Brewster — drums* Tom Bukovac — electric guitar* Lisa Cochran — background vocals* Perry Coleman — background vocals* Eric Darken — percussion* Shannon Forrest — drums* Kenny Greenberg — electric guitar* Aubrey Haynie — fiddle...
(2009)
I'm American
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic, gave the album a three-out-of-five star rating. Erlewine said that Cyrus "sounds like a ruminative, mumbling Bruce Springsteen, so Billy Ray muscularly strums his guitar while rhapsodizing about the downtrodden working class." He also went on to say that I'm...
(2011)
Compilation albums
The Best of Billy Ray Cyrus: Cover to Cover
The Best of Billy Ray Cyrus: Cover to Cover is a greatest hits album, released in 1997, by country music artist Billy Ray Cyrus. It features three newly-released tracks — "It's All the Same to Me", "Cover to Cover", and "Bluegrass State of Mind" — as well as a reprise of "Trail of Tears" from his...
(1997)
20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Billy Ray Cyrus
20th Century Masters – The Millennium Collection: The Best of Billy Ray Cyrus is a compilation album released from Billy Ray Cyrus. The album was released on March 23, 2003, via Mercury Nashville Records. The album debuted and peaked at number 59 on the U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums chart...
(2003)
The Definitive Collection (Billy Ray Cyrus album)
The Definitive Collection is a compilation album released from country music singer-songwriter, Billy Ray Cyrus in June 2004. The album is part of Universal Music Group's The Definitive Collection series and was released without Cyrus' supervision, thus no new material was recorded...
(2004)
Love Songs (Billy Ray Cyrus album)
Love Songs is the first love songs compilation released on January 29, 2008 by country music singer Billy Ray Cyrus. The album was released on Mercury Nashville, Cyrus' first album with the label since leaving in 1998....
(2008)
Icon (Billy Ray Cyrus album)
Icon is the title of an album released on March 1, 2011, from country music singer Billy Ray Cyrus. The album was released via Universal Music Group Nashville's Mercury Nashville division. The album features 12 songs that were featured on Cyrus' first three studio albums.-Critical:Thom Jurek of...
(2011)
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Radical Jack | Jack | |
| 2002 | Mulholland Drive Mulholland Drive (film) Mulholland Drive is a 2001 American neo-noir psychological thriller written and directed by David Lynch, starring Justin Theroux, Naomi Watts, and Laura Harring. The surrealist film was highly acclaimed by many critics and earned Lynch the Prix de la mise en scène at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival... |
Gene | |
| 2002 | Wish You Were Dead Wish You Were Dead Wish You Were Dead is a crime comedy about two femme fatales fighting over one man in a back-stabbing, money-grabbing, insurance-hustling, double-dealing, two-timing caper.... |
Dean Longo | |
| 2004 | Death and Texas | Spoade Perkins | |
| 2004 | Elvis Has Left the Building Elvis has left the building "Elvis has left the building!" is a phrase that was often used by public address announcers following Elvis Presley concerts to disperse audiences who lingered in hopes of an encore... |
Hank (uncredited) | |
| 2008 | Bait Shop | Hot Rod Johnson | |
| 2008 | Best of Both Worlds Concert | Himself | |
| 2009 | Flying By | George Barron | Direct-to-video Direct-to-video Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television... |
| 2009 | Hannah Montana: The Movie Hannah Montana: The Movie Hannah Montana: The Movie is a 2009 Walt Disney Pictures musical comedy film based on the Disney Channel show Hannah Montana which was released on April 10, 2009, by Walt Disney Pictures, it was the second Disney Channel series to have a movie for Walt Disney Pictures. The film was directed by... |
Robby Ray Stewart Robby Ray Stewart For the actor of the character Robbie see Billy CyrusRobert Ray "Robby" Stewart is a fictional character from the Disney Channel series Hannah Montana, portrayed by Billy Ray Cyrus. Robby is the single father of Jackson Stewart and Miley Stewart... |
Also producer Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actor Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actor The Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actor is an award presented at the annual Golden Raspberry Awards to the worst supporting actor of the previous year. The following is a list of nominees and recipients of that award, along with the film for which they were nominated. Brooke Shields is the... Nominated — American Music Award for Favorite Soundtrack |
| 2009 | Christmas in Canaan Christmas in Canaan Christmas in Canaan is a 2009 drama film starring country music singer Billy Ray Cyrus. The film is based around the book of the same name written by country music artist Kenny Rogers and Donald Davenport. Filming began at the end of August 2009 and finished in mid-September... |
Daniel Burton | Nominated — MovieGuide Grace Award |
| 2010 | The Spy Next Door The Spy Next Door The Spy Next Door is a 2010 American spy comedy family film starring Jackie Chan, Amber Valletta, Billy Ray Cyrus and George Lopez. Filming started in late October in New Mexico and was finished in late December 2008. The film was released on January 15, 2010 in the United States. The film was... |
Colton James | Nominated — Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actor Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actor The Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actor is an award presented at the annual Golden Raspberry Awards to the worst supporting actor of the previous year. The following is a list of nominees and recipients of that award, along with the film for which they were nominated. Brooke Shields is the... |
| 2011 | Billy Ray Cyrus: I'm American | Himself | TV movie |
| 2011 | Craptastic | Radical Jack | post-production |
| 2011 | Christmas Returns to Canaan | Daniel Burton | pre-production |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | The Nanny The Nanny Nanny may refer to:* Nanny, a child's caregiver* A grandmother * A Cajun word for godmother * A female goat* Nanny , a 1981–83 British drama series starring Wendy Craig* Nanny of the Maroons... |
Himself | 1 episode; "A Kiss Is Just a Kiss" |
| 1997 | Diagnosis Murder Diagnosis Murder Diagnosis: Murder is a mystery/medical/crime drama television series starring Dick Van Dyke as Dr. Mark Sloan, a medical doctor who solves crimes with the help of his son, a homicide detective played by his real-life son Barry Van Dyke. The series began as a spin-off of Jake and the Fatman... |
Himself | 1 episode; "Murder, Country Style" |
| 1999 | The Love Boat: The Next Wave The Love Boat: The Next Wave The Love Boat: The Next Wave is an American television series which was based on the ABC sitcom The Love Boat. The series aired on UPN from 1998 to 1999.-Plot:... |
Lasso Larry Larsen | 1 episode; "Divorce, Downbeat and Distemper" |
| 2000 | 18 Wheels of Justice | Henry Conners | 1 episode; "Games of Chance" |
| 2001 | Doc Doc (TV series) Doc is a medical drama/family drama with strong Christian undertones starring Billy Ray Cyrus as Dr. Clint "Doc" Cassidy, a Montana doctor who takes a job in a New York City medical clinic. It ran from March 11, 2001 to November 28, 2004 on PAX... |
Dr. Clint Cassidy | 88 episodes; 2001-2004 Nominated — MovieGuide Grace Award |
| 2002 | Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye is a Canadian-American television series that premiered in the United States in 2002 and Canada in 2003. The show ended in May 2005 due to PAX's decision to halt the production of original programming. It was one of the two highest rated shows on PAX. In September 2009, Gospel... |
Dr. Clint Cassidy | 1 episode; "Pilot" |
| 2003 | Degrassi: The Next Generation Degrassi: The Next Generation Degrassi: The Next Generation is a Canadian teen drama television series set in the Degrassi universe, which was created by Linda Schuyler and Kit Hood in 1979. Degrassi is the fourth fictional series in the Degrassi franchise, and follows The Kids of Degrassi Street, Degrassi Junior High, and... |
Limo driver, Duke | 1 episode; "The Power of Love" |
| 2006 | Hannah Montana Hannah Montana Hannah Montana is an American television series, which debuted on March 24, 2006 on the Disney Channel. The series focuses on a girl who lives a double life as an average teenage school girl named Miley Stewart by day and a famous pop singer named Hannah Montana by night, concealing her real... |
Robby Ray Stewart Robby Ray Stewart For the actor of the character Robbie see Billy CyrusRobert Ray "Robby" Stewart is a fictional character from the Disney Channel series Hannah Montana, portrayed by Billy Ray Cyrus. Robby is the single father of Jackson Stewart and Miley Stewart... |
99 episodes; 2006-2011 Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Parental Unit |
| 2007 | Billy Ray Cyrus: Home at Last | Himself | 4 episodes |
| 2007 | Dancing with the Stars Dancing with the Stars (U.S. season 4) The fourth season of the American edition of Dancing with the Stars premiered on March 19, 2007 and aired until May 22, 2007.To avoid direct competition with Fox Broadcasting Company's American Idol, Dancing with the Stars changed time slots from the previous season. In the fourth season, the... |
Himself, contestant | 17 episodes |
| 2008 | Hillbilly: The Real Story | Host | Special featured on the History Channel |
| 2008 | Nashville Star Nashville Star Nashville Star is an American reality television program. It was transmitted during mid-2008 on NBC, following five seasons on USA Network. It premiered on March 8, 2003, and its five seasons on USA made it the longest-running competition series on cable television. In Canada, the show aired on CMT... |
Host | 9 episodes |
| 2008 | Phineas and Ferb Phineas and Ferb Phineas and Ferb is an American animated television comedy series. Originally broadcast as a preview on August 17, 2007, on Disney Channel, the series follows Phineas Flynn and his English stepbrother Ferb Fletcher on summer vacation. Every day the boys embark on some grand new project, which... |
Buck Buckerson | 1 episode; "It's a Mud, Mud, Mud, Mud World" |
| 2011 | Full Throttle Saloon Full Throttle Saloon Full Throttle Saloon is an American reality television series airing on the truTV network. The series provides an inside look at the world's largest biker bar located in Sturgis, South Dakota... |
Himself | 1 episode; "Episode 2.3" |
| 2011 | Surprise Homecoming | Host | Also producer Special featured on TLC TLC (TV channel) TLC is an American cable TV specialty channel which initially focused on educational content. Since 1991 TLC has been owned by Discovery Communications, the same company that operates the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and The Science Channel, as well as other learning-themed networks... 8 episodes |
| 2011 | When Pop Culture Saved America: A 9-11 Story | Himself | TV documentary |
| 2011 | 90210 90210 (TV series) 90210 is an American teen drama television series developed by Rob Thomas, Jeff Judah and Gabe Sachs, and the fourth series in the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise created by Darren Star. 90210 is the first series produced by CBS Productions under the company's re-launch, but is now produced by CBS... |
Judd Ridge | |
See also
- List of best-selling albums in the United States
- List of country music performers
- List of number-one hits (United States)
Further reading
- Kingsbury, Paul. (1998). "Billy Ray Cyrus". In The Encyclopedia of Country Music. Paul Kingsbury, Editor. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 123–4.
External links
- Billy Ray Cyrus at CMT.com
- Archive of Original site.