Born 65 Years Ago Today in Kentucky’s Good Neighbor Community, the 90s Country Star Who Later Played Dad to His Real-Life Daughter on Disney Channel

Billy Ray Cyrus has been a household name for decades now. Whether you were a 1990s country fan who fell in love with him through “Achy Breaky Heart” or a younger listener who learned of him through Hannah Montana, Cyrus is a mainstay. In honor of his birthday, let’s look back on Cyrus’ career from country heartthrob to lovable father figure and beyond.

Before the Breakthrough

Cyrus was born on August 25, 1961, in Flatwoods, Kentucky. Cyrus experienced an early love of music. At just four years old, he started singing, expressing his affinity for musicianship far earlier than most. A musical family surrounding him only furthered his interest. His early listening habits included bluegrass and gospel music, paving the way for a stunning mix of country with traditional roots.

He started attending Georgetown College but quickly realized it was a musician’s life for him. A Neil Diamond concert moved him to drop out, and he decided to move full steam ahead with music. He signed with Mercury Nashville Records, earning his first break.

Shortly after signing with Mercury, Cyrus got the opportunity to open for Reba, hitting the ground running. His debut album, Some Gave All, was an instant hit, setting the stage for Cyrus to become one of the biggest country acts of the 1990s. What’s even more amazing about the success of this project (which earned Cyrus a No. 1 album very early on in his career) was the signature single, “Achy Breaky Heart”.

The Song That Changed Everything For Billy Ray Cyrus

It’s not every day that an artist earns their signature hit on their debut album. Cyrus came out of the gate swinging with “Achy Breaky Heart” melting listeners the world over. Though this song is technically a cover of a song recorded by The Marcy Brothers, Cyrus’ version made him the effective owner.

This song swept in the honky-tonk circuit, spawning a dance to go along with it. The dance culture in the 1990s played a massive role in making this song a hit. Though this song remains Cyrus’ signature, it’s far from his only success.

Other Cyrus standouts include “In The Heart Of A Woman”, “Could’ve Been Me”, and “She’s Not Cryin’ Anymore”, which also took Cyrus to stardom, giving him a steady stream of hits in the 1990s.

In the early 2000s, Cyrus shifted to Christian music, returning to his gospel roots. His two albums in this vein, Time Flies and The Other Side, did moderately well but failed to live up to his earlier straight-country offerings. As the decade progressed, Cyrus turned his attention away from music and embarked on a new path that would earn him a new generation of fans.

A New Generation of Fans

As Miley Cyrus began building her own career, Billy Ray took a role to be closer to her. Disney wanted the Cyruses together to mirror their real-life dynamic as father and daughter in Hannah Montana. That move produced one of the most successful children’s TV shows in the company’s history. The chemistry between Miley and Billy Ray was a large part of that.

Disney reinvigorated Cyrus’ career as a country star, moving him to release his first Top 5 album since the 1990s, Home At Last. The album was bolstered by “Ready, Set, Don’t Go”, which appeared on Hannah Montana.

Cyrus continued to grow a younger fanbase with the remix of Old Town Road. This controversial song was everywhere back in 2018 but struggled to keep its country classification. To boost the song’s country appeal, Cyrus joined a remix of the song. While helping out Lil Nas X, Cyrus got a major career bump.

Cyrus’ more recent efforts haven’t matched the success of his 1990s run, but his listenership and name recognition still go strong. Cyrus has delivered some of the most beloved country songs ever, and his continued fanbase speaks to that.

(Photo by Paul Natkin/WireImage)