Biography
Who is Billy Ray Cyrus?
Early life and education
Billy Ray Cyrus was born on August 25, 1961, in Flatwoods, Kentucky. His parents were Ron Cyrus, who worked as a steelworker and later became a politician, and Ruth Ann Cyrus. He grew up surrounded by bluegrass and gospel music because his family members were musicians. His father played the guitar, and Billy tried to play it as well. He attended Georgetown College on a baseball scholarship before switching his focus to music. During his junior year, he dropped out of college after attending a Neil Diamond concert and decided to pursue a full-time career in music.
In the 1980s, Billy played in a band called Sly Dog. The band name came from a one-eyed dog that he owned at the time. While trying to secure a recording contract in Los Angeles, he faced many hardships, including living in a neighbor's car before finally signing with PolyGram and Mercury Records in 1990.
Music career and major hits
Billy Ray Cyrus released his debut studio album titled Some Gave All in 1992. The album became an enormous commercial success and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, staying there for seventeen consecutive weeks. It featured the smash hit single Achy Breaky Heart, which topped the U.S. Hot Country Songs chart and became an international sensation. The music video for the song sparked a big mainstream craze for line dancing. The album achieved nine times multi-platinum certification in the United States and sold more than twenty million copies worldwide.
Following his debut, Billy released several more albums through the 1990s and 2000s, including It Won't Be the Last and Storm in the Heartland. In 2019, he achieved his first number-one single on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 as a featured artist on the remix of Old Town Road by Lil Nas X. The track broke records by staying at the top spot for nineteen consecutive weeks. Thanks to this collaboration, he won his first two Grammy Awards in the categories of Best Pop Duo or Group Performance and Best Music Video.
Acting and television work
Alongside his music career, Billy Ray Cyrus established himself as a television and film actor. From 2001 to 2004, he starred in the television series Doc, which aired on the PAX network. The show centered on a country doctor who relocated from Montana to New York City.
From 2006 to 2011, he starred as Robby Ray Stewart on the hit Disney Channel television series Hannah Montana. He acted alongside his daughter Miley Cyrus, who played the title character of the show. Later, from 2016 to 2017, he played the character Vernon Brownmule on the CMT sitcom Still the King.
Family and personal life
Billy Ray Cyrus was born to parents Ron Cyrus and Ruth Ann Cyrus, who divorced in 1966. He has three siblings named Kevin, Cherie, and Angie Marie. Over the course of his life, he has been married to Tish Cyrus and Cindy Cyrus, and was in relationships with Kristin Luckey and Elizabeth Hurley.
He is a father to six children: Trace, Brandi, Miley, Noah, Braison, and Christopher Cody. His family has deep roots in the music and entertainment industry, with several of his children also pursuing careers in singing and acting.
Birthday and age
Billy Ray Cyrus was born on August 25, 1961, which makes Billy 65 years old today. That birthday falls under the Virgo sign. Billy shares the date with 66 other famous people.
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