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Billy Ray Cyrus (born August 25, 1961 in Flatwoods, Kentucky) is an American country singer, and actor, who is probably best known for his hit single "Achy Breaky Heart" (1992). He is also a multi-platinum selling recording artist, with three number-one singles and six top-ten singles. From 2001 to 2004, he starred in the television series Doc, a show about a doctor from the ranch adjusting to the large city. It remains in syndication today. Starting in 2006, he currently stars in the Disney Channel original television series, Hannah Montana, along with his daughter Miley.

Biography

Cyrus was raised into a Pentecostal family. His parents divorced during his youth and his grandfather, who was a Pentecostal preacher, died when he was twelve years old.

Cyrus was a part of Russell, Kentucky's first state championship high school football team in 1978. He originally intended to play professional baseball. He attended Georgetown College on a baseball scholarship, but quit to form a band called "Sly Dog" with his brother, Kevin Cyrus.

Career

After moving to Los Angeles alone, Cyrus signed to Mercury Records in 1990. The success of "Achy Breaky Heart" from his first album Some Gave All helped renew the popularity of line dancing and made Cyrus a star. At the time he was widely known for his signature mullet hairstyle.

Cyrus sang with Dolly Parton in her song, "Romeo." Dolly Parton also appeared in an episode of Hannah Montana.

In 1993, Cyrus was scheduled to perform for Queen Elizabeth II but had to cancel due to family reasons.

Cyrus' follow-up, It Won't Be the Last, began strong but sales wound up being disappointing compared to Some Gave All. He appeared on Dolly Parton's 1993 single "Romeo", then continued to chart and release four more albums over the next six years. These were Storm in the Heartland (1994), Trail of Tears (1996), Shot Full of Love (1998) and Southern Rain (2000). He has had some success as a gospel singer with his album The Other Side in 2003. His most recent album, released in July 2006, is Wanna Be Your Joe.

In 2004, Blender magazine selected "Achy Breaky Heart" as the magazine's choice for "second worst song ever." Some people claim Cyrus is a one-hit wonder, mainly because "Achy Breaky Heart" was his only major hit on the Billboard Hot 100. However, his career has included three #1 singles and six Top Ten singles on the country charts, including "Could've Been Me", "Busy Man", and "In the Heart of a Woman." Cyrus also holds the record for the longest time at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 album chart for a debut record (17 weeks).

"We The People," the working people’s anthem from Southern Rain became the campaign theme song for President George W. Bush during his 2000 election campaign.

Cyrus starred in the 1999 independent film Radical Jack. Cyrus also had a small part in David Lynch'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. Doc became the highest-rated show on the network.

In 2005, Cyrus expanded his acting career in a stage production of Annie Get Your Gun in Toronto, as 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, Cyrus guest starred in the episode, "The Power of Love" of the Canadian teen drama Degrassi: The Next Generation as the limo driver, Duke.

Cyrus has also been the subject of many television specials that detail his rise to fame and his career. These include two ABC documentaries, Dreams Come True and 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 began filming the first twenty episodes of a new Disney Channel original television series, Hannah Montana. The show revolves around a young teenage girl (Miley) who lives a double life as pop singing sensation "Hannah Montana." Cyrus plays the pop star's widowed father, manager, and famous singer Robby Stewart. Hannah Montana is currently airing on the Disney Channel, and has received positive reviews from critics and viewers. His character is loosely based on his real life; footage of Robby Ray as a famous singer in the past is actual footage and photos of Cyrus himself as a singer, and many times allusions are made to the singer, as in the episode "New Kid in School" where Robby Stewart dons a mullet wig and introduces his character as Billy Ray Cyrus; in the episode "Ooo, Ooo, Itchy Woman" where his character refers to his single "Achy Breaky Heart" by asking a mouse which was crawling around inside the Stewarts' piano, "Lynda, you know 'Achy Breaky Heart'?"; and in the episode "On the Road Again," where Cyrus performs his song "I Want My Mullet Back," a track from his latest CD. Also, in the episode, "Its a Mannequin's World," when Robby does the limbo and cracks his back, he says, "Ohh, my Achy Breaky back!"

He also sang "The Star Spangled Banner" at Game 5 of the 2006 World Series in St. Louis, Missouri.

Joining several current and former stars, Cyrus is a part of Dancing with the Stars for season 4. The show first aired on March 19, 2007.

Marriage and children

Cyrus has one child from a previous relationship, Christopher Cody Cyrus. Cyrus is now married to Leticia "Tish" Finley Cyrus, whom he married on December 28 1993. Together, they have three children, daughters Destiny Hope (aka Miley) and Noah Lindsey, and son Braison Chance. She had two children from a previous relationship, son Trace and daughter Brandi. The family resided on a 500-acre farm in Spring Hill, outside of Nashville, Tennessee, before moving to Los Angeles for the filming of Hannah Montana.

Cyrus enjoys weight lifting and horseback riding. Cyrus also enjoys helping his daughter Miley memorize her lines for the show. He says he loves the ride to work, because it gives him and Miley a chance to spend time together.

Rivalry

Cyrus enjoyed a heated rivalry with Travis Tritt when "Achy Breaky" became a hit song. Tritt didn't like Cyrus' "pretty boy country" routine, complete with tight shorts, revealing shirts, and what Tritt believed was a general country-mockery-with-Fabio-appeal of Cyrus's act. The criticism was a bit ironic, given that Tritt and Cyrus had crossover fan bases and that the two sounded similar in style, with deep, rangy baritones and rockabilly baselines for their songs.

Cyrus, for his part, kept silent during Tritt's rants, due in part to his embarrassment at the reception for Achy Breaky. Cyrus proved to be much more than just a pretty face, scoring hits with "Storm in the Heartland" and "It Could've been Me", although to country outsiders he's best known for his novelty hit. Tritt went on to much more respected success in country music and the feud has since died.

When "Achy Breaky" was named "Single of the Year" by the CMA in 1993, Cyrus took a jab back at Tritt in his acceptance speech, saying he felt vindicated that the song was being recognized as a great tune, and "to those who don't appreciate it for what it is, 'Here's a Quarter, Call Someone Who Cares'," (invoking the name of one of Tritt's hits).

Awards

In addition to several music awards from various organizations, Cyrus also holds awards from charitable work.

In 1999, Cyrus received the International Entertainment Buyer Association’s "Humanitarian of the Year" Award for his philanthropic work. His charitable efforts have been recognized by the Country Radio Broadcasters, who honored him with their Artist Humanitarian Award, and by the Kennedy Center Honors, which recognized him for his work with children. He also received the first ever Bob Hope Congressional Medal of Honor Society Entertainer’s Award for his dedication to philanthropy.

Discography

Studio albums

• Some Gave All (1992)
• It Won't Be the Last (1993)
• Storm in the Heartland (1994)
• Trail of Tears (1996)
• Shot Full of Love (1997)
• Southern Rain (1998)
• Time Flies (2003)
• The Other Side (2004)
• Wanna Be Your Joe (2006)
• I Learned From You(2006)

Greatest hits compilations

• Best of Billy Ray Cyrus: Cover To Cover (1997)
• 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Billy Ray Cyrus (2003)
• The Definitive Collection (2004)
• Achy Breaky Heart (2004)
• The Collection (2005)

Singles

Singles

Notes:

• "Achy Breaky Heart" also reached #23 on the U.S. Adult Contemporary chart.
• "Some Gave All" charted as an album cut only.
• "Could've Been Me" reached #1 on Radio & Records country songs chart.
• "Face Of God" was Billy Ray's only single for Curb Records.

Selected filmography

See also

• List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)
• List of best-selling albums in the United States
• List of number-one hits (United States)

References

1. unknown (February 20, 2007). "Meet the New Cast of 'Dancing With the Stars". ABC.com Dancing with the Stars. Retrieved 2007-02-21.
2. ^ ""BILLY RAY CYRUS - Bio"". cmt.ca (in English). Retrieved 2006-10-29. Children: Destiny Hope, Braison Chance, Noah Lindsey, with Tish; Christopher Cody, from a previous relationship; and stepchildren Brandi, and Trace. {{cite web}}: External link in |work= (help)CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
3. ^ "Billy Ray Cyrus (Dr. Clint Cassidy)". "Doc" Cast Bios. I (TV network). Retrieved 2006-10-07.
4. Steinberg, Jacques (2006-04-20). "Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: A Tale of Two Tweens". The New York Times (in English language English). Retrieved 2006-10-29. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)

External links

• Billy Ray Cyrus official website
• Billy Ray Cyrus DeLaFont Management website
• Billy Ray Cyrus' Sony Nashville website
• Billy Ray Cyrus CMT website
• Billy Ray Cyrus at AOL Music videos and audio
• Billy Ray Cyrus at IMDb
• Template:Nndb name
• Template:Amg
• Billy Ray Cyrus and CD reviews at Country Standard Time
• Billy Ray Cyrus in Hannah Montana
• Dancing with the Stars

• Articles needing cleanup from February 2007
• Cleanup tagged articles without a reason field from February 2007
• Misplaced Pages pages needing cleanup from February 2007
• 1961 births
• Living people
• American actor-singers
• American country guitarists
• American country singers
• American film actors
• American male singers
• American Pentecostals
• American television actors
• Performers of Christian music
• Country rock musicians
• Cyrus family
• Kentucky musicians
• People from Kentucky
• People from Nashville
• Sony BMG artists
• Universal Music Group artists