Cyrus
The man behind "Achy Breaky Heart" and the voice on "Old Town Road."
via Wikipedia: Billy Ray Cyrus · see source
Billy Ray Cyrus ( SY-rəs; born August 25, 1961) is an American singer, songwriter and actor. Having released 16 studio albums and 53 singles since 1992, he is known for his hit single "Achy Breaky Heart", which topped the U.S. Hot Country Songs chart and 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. Due to the song's music video, the line dance rose in popularity. A multi-platinum selling artist, Cyrus has scored a total of eight top-ten singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. His most successful album to date is his debut Some Gave All, which has been certified 9× multi-platinum in the United States and is the longest time spent by a debut artist and by a country artist at number one on the Billboard 200 (17 consecutive weeks) and most consecutive chart-topping weeks in the SoundScan era.
Quick Facts
- First appears
- In an episode featuring S.H.A.D.O.W.'s operations
Lore & Background
Billy Ray Cyrus was born on August 25, 1961, in Flatwoods, Kentucky, to Ron Cyrus, a steelworker who became a politician, and his wife Ruth Ann. He started singing at the age of four. His parents divorced in 1966. His grandfather was a Pentecostal preacher. Growing up he was surrounded by bluegrass and gospel music as his family are musicians. He attended Georgetown College on a baseball scholarship before changing to music. He dropped out of Georgetown during his junior year, realized he wanted to become a musician after attending a Neil Diamond concert, and set a 10-month goal to start a career. In the 1980s, he played in a band called Sly Dog, before signing a record contract with Mercury Nashville Records. Sly Dog was named after a one-eyed dog that Cyrus owned. While trying to get a recording contract in Los Angeles, Cyrus suffered many hardships including living in his neighbor's car. However, in 1990, he was signed to PolyGram/Mercury. In the same year he opened for Reba McEntire.
Reader's Guide
From 2001 to 2004, Cyrus starred on the television series Doc. The series focused on a country doctor who moved from Montana to New York City. From 2006 to 2011, he starred as Robby Ray Stewart on the Disney Channel series Hannah Montana with his daughter Miley Cyrus playing the title character. From 2016 to 2017, he starred as Vernon Brownmule on the CMT sitcom Still the King. In mid-2007, Cyrus was a celebrity contestant on the 4th season of the show Dancing with the Stars. Cyrus was partnered with Karina Smirnoff. He quickly became a fan favorite. Cyrus and Smirnoff made it to the semi-finals, where they finished in 5th place.
Did You Know?
- Billy Ray Cyrus's debut album Some Gave All spent 17 consecutive weeks at number one on the Billboard 200, the longest for any debut artist and any country artist.
- Some Gave All sold more than 20 million copies worldwide and is the best-selling debut album of all time for a solo male artist.
- Cyrus won his first two Grammy Awards in 2019 for his featured role on Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road" remix.
Elsewhere in Totally Spies
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced