Billy Ray Cyrus Biography

Billy Ray Cyrus (born on August 25, 1961 in Flatwoods, Kentucky) is an American country singer, best known for the hit single "Achy Breaky Heart" (1992) and his distinctive mullet. Recently he has performed in the Disney television series, Hannah Montana, along with his daughter Miley. Billy Ray is the son of the late Ron Cyrus, a notable politician and public servant from Greenup County, Kentucky. Billy Ray Cyrus stated on "The Collection" that he is half-Cherokee.

Biography

Billy Ray 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, Jeff Cyrus. After moving to Los Angeles alone, Billy Ray 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.

Billy Ray' 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). Billy Ray Cyrus 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. However, Billy Ray Cyrus's career has included three #1 singles and six Top Ten singles, including "Could've Been Me" 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).

In 2001, Billy Ray began playing the lead role on the PAX (now i Network) comedy-drama Doc. Doc became the highest-rated show on the network, and continues to air in reruns on the channel. In 2005, Billy Ray expanded his acting career in a stage production of Annie Get Your Gun in Toronto, in the role of Frank Butler.

In 2004 Billy Ray guest starred in an episode of the Canadian teen drama Degrassi: The Next Generation.

In late 2005, Billy Ray Cyrus and his daughter Miley, began filming the first twenty episodes of a new Disney Channel television series, Hannah Montana. The show revolves around a young pop star (played by Miley) who adopts an alter ego to protect her identity at school, fulfilling her wish to live life as a "normal" kid. Cyrus plays the pop star's widowed father, manager, and famous singer Robbie Ray. Footage of Robbie Ray as a famous singer in the past is actual footage and photos of Billy Ray himself as a singer. Hannah Montana is currently airing on the Disney Channel, and has received positive reviews from critics and viewers.

Trivia for Billy Ray Cyrus

• Bill Hicks refers to Billy Ray in his 'Rant In E-Minor'. He says that his new TV show will be called 'Hunt And Kill Billy Ray Cyrus'. Unfortunately, due to Bill's death, this TV show was never made or broadcasted. However, it seems this may be a joke.
• Billy Ray Cyrus contributed heavily to the invention and introduction of denim styled short pants.
• Billy Ray is an avid outdoorsman, per his own admission to Country Music Magazine.
• Billy Ray Cyrus is left-handed.
• "Weird Al" Yankovic used Billy Ray Cyrus's song, "Achy Breaky Heart", to construct his parody entitled "Achy Breaky Song"
• Billy Ray Cyrus's sons are Trace, Christopher and Braison Cyrus and his daughters are Miley, Noah and Brandi.
• A part of the That's So Suite Life of Hannah Montana special includes Billy Ray Cyrus singing on stage,and his hair style is the same hairstyle as it was in the music video for Achy Breaky Heart.
• On the US "unaired episode" "New Kid" of Hannah Montana, the character Miley Stewart tells an investigative reporter that she's Hannah Montana so Jackson and Robbie Ray help her try to prove she's not Hannah Montana as Jackson pretends he's Elvis and Robbie Ray wears a fake mullet and introduces his character as himself.
• In the episode Ooo Ooo Itchy Woman of Hannah Montana, he references to his single Achy Breaky Heart by saying, "Lynda, you know Achy breaky Heart?"
• In the That's So Suite Life of Hannah Montana episode, Billy Ray Cyrus performs his song "I Want My Mullet Back" off his newest CD.