Billy Ray Cyrus Biography

Although best known for his single “Achy Breaky Heart,” Billy Ray is not simply a one-hit wonder. He has three #1 singles, six singles that reached the top ten, and currently stars in a successful television series with his daughter Miley.

Billy Ray Cyrus was born on August 25, 1961 in Flatwoods, Kentucky. This Southern boy was raised in a Pentecostal family. He originally wanted to become a professional baseball player, and was given a sports scholarship to attend Georgetown College. Music was Cyrus’s real passion though, and he quit school to form the short-lived band Sly Dog with his brother Kevin.

He moved to Los Angeles on his own, and soon got his lucky break when he was signed by Mercury Records in 1990, after scouts saw him opening at a concert for Reba McEntire. Some Gave All, Billy’s debut album, contained that catchy single “Achy Breaky Heart,” effectively making the singer a star. It also brought renewed interest in the trend of line dancing, one that some people would rather forget. Cyrus’s success allowed him to sing a duet with country icon Dolly Parton, and he was also invited to perform for Queen Elizabeth II. The performance never occurred, however, as Cyrus had to cancel for family reasons.