Billy Ray Cyrus

(Singer, Songwriter, Guitar)

• Date of Birth: August 25, 1961
• Place of Birth: Flatwoods, Kentucky
• Married: 1. Cindy (m. 1986) (div. 1991), 2. Leticia
• Children: Destiny Hope, Brason Chance

Billy Ray Cyrus became the phenomenon of the 1990's, with enormous popularity and on-stage charisma that rivaled Elvis Presley.

Billy Ray learned his singing early when he would sometimes sing in his father's Gospel quartet. When his parents divorced, Billy Ray went through the trauma of the breakup, with his mother working as a housemaid to support them. He left high school before graduation and went to California, staying for six months before returning home to work in a warehouse.

When he was 20, Billy Ray bought his first guitar and started a band called Sly Dog. Within a year, the band was playing in a bar in Ohio and starting to get a following. A fire in 1984 destroyed all the band's equipment and Billy Ray moved to California and put together a new band and started selling cars. He married Cindy, and in 1986 moved back to Flatwoods and began performing at the Ragtime Lounge in Huntington, West Virginia.

Billy Ray started to try to infiltrate Nashville, but couldn't afford to stay so he would drive there, knock on a few doors, then drive back and play for six nights with the band before setting off for Nashville again. Finally, after doing this about 42 times, his persistence paid off when one of his songs was cut by Grand Ole Opry star Del Reeves. Reeves introduced Billy Ray to his former manager and after securing a management agreement, he was booked to open a performance for Reba McEntire and Highway 101, which eventually led to a recording contract.

In 1992, his debut single, Achy Breaky Heart, not only became No. 1 (where it stayed for 5 weeks), but also a Top 5 Pop hit and international success. It was Certified Platinum and its success was enhanced by the line dance, The Achy Breaky. His next single only went to the Top 60, but subsequent singles were major hits.

He sang the national anthem at the 1992 baseball World Series and his video was Certified Triple-Platinum. In 1993, he had his own ABC-TV special.

Recordings include:

• Achy Breaky Heart
• Some Gave All
• Could've Been Me
• She's Not Crying Anymore
• Where'm I Gonna Live?
• In the Heart of a Woman