The father of Miley Cyrus, Billy Ray Cyrus is often called a “one-hit-wonder” because of his widely popular song “Achy Breaky Heart” which flamed his singing career, and continues to do so today.

Born William Ray Cyrus on August 25, 1961 in Flatwoods, Kentucky, this Achy Breaky Heart singer is now more famously known as “Hannah Montana” star, Miley Cyrus’s father. Growing up with his politician father, Ron Cyrus, and mother, Ruth Ann Adkins, Billy Ray had a passion for music. Being a lefty, Billy Ray tried his hand at guitar by picking up his father’s but could not master it because it was made for a right-hander. Taking a break from his guitar struggles, Billy Ray proved his athletic abilities on the baseball field earning a full athletic scholarship to Georgetown College. Switching his focus back to music, Billy Ray spent the majority of his twenties between 1980 and 1990 playing music at bars before landing a record deal with Polygram Records in Los Angeles.

In 1992, Billy Ray released his debut album, Some Gave All, which sold over 9 million copies in the U.S. and 20 million worldwide. Much of the album’s success was due in part of his #1 single, Achy Breaky Heart, which can still be heard on the radio today. The single was #1 for five weeks while the album stayed at #1 on the Billboard 200 charts for 34 and 17 weeks. Achy Breaky Heart also earned Billy Ray with Single of the Year from the 1992 CMA Awards. He also was Favorite New Artist and Favorite Single at the American Music Awards in 1993. In 1993 and 1994, Billy Ray released his subsequent second and third, album with Polygram Records before switching to Mercury Nashville Records. Billy Ray released several more country albums, Trail of Tears in 1996, Shot Full of Love in 1998, and Southern Rain in 2000.

In 2001, Billy Ray took a stab at acting in the comedy-drama, “Doc”. Landing the lead role, the series became PAX’s highest-rated show on the network. While filming the series in Toronto in 2003, Billy Ray recorded his first of two Christian albums. In 2005, Billy Ray joined his daughter, Miley Cyrus, on the Disney Channel’s Original Series, “Hannah Montana”. In 2006, Billy Ray returned to the studio and released the album, Wanna Be Your Joe. A year later, in 2007, Billy Ray took part in the fourth edition of “Dancing with the Stars”. He and his partner, Karina Smirnoff, placed 5th in the competition. That same year, Billy Ray released another album on Walt Disney Records, Home at Last, which debuted at #3. The only single released, Ready, Set, Don’t Go, was recorded with daughter Miley Cyrus.

Billy Ray is set to reprise his role as Robbie Stewart, in the upcoming Hannah Montana” The Movie. He is also expected to appear alongside Jackie Chan in the movie, The Spy Next Door, due to release in 2010.

What Billy Ray Has Accomplished:

- The Spy Next Door (2010) Post-production
- Flying By (2009) – George Barron
- Hannah Montana: The Movie (2009) – Robbie Stewart
- Hannah Montana (61 episodes, 2006-2009)
- Bait Shop (2008) – Hot Rod Johnson
- Phineas and Ferb (1 episode, 2008) Voice – Buck Buckerson
- Doc (88 episodes, 2001-2004) – Dr. Clint ‘Doc’ Cassidy
- Elvis Has Left the Building (2004) – Hank
- Degrassi: The Next Generation (1 episode, 2002) – Duke
- Death and Texas (2004) – Spoade Perkins
- Sue Thomas: F.B. Eye (1 episode, 2002) – Dr. Clint Cassidy
- Wish You Were Dead (2002) – Dean Longo
- Mulholland Dr. (2001) – Gene
- 18 Wheels of Justice (1 episode, 2000) – Henry Conners
- Radical Jack (2000) – Jack
- The Love Boat: The Next Wave (1 episode, 1999) – Lasso Larry Larsen