Billy Ray Cyrus Biography:
Born on August 25, 1961 in Flatwoods, Kentucky, country singer and actor Billy Ray Cyrus was brought up under the Pentecostal value system. Cyrus’ parents separated when he was very young. He was a student of Georgetown College, but his baseball scholarship was not enough to convince Cyrus to stay in school when the opportunity to form his own band (which he eventually named "Sly Dog") came about. In 1990, Cyrus received a recording contract from Mercury Records, under which he released his all-time hit, “Achy Breaky Heart.” Cyrus’ second album, It Won’t Be Last, did not quite live up to the success of his first single, but still achieved considerable success. The same can be said for his subsequent albums, namely Storm in the Heartland, Trail of Tears, Shot Full of Love, Southern Rain, The Other Side and Wanna Be Your Joe. Some of his other singles, like "Could’ve Been Me" and "Busy Man," made it to the Top Ten singles on the country charts. His first album holds the record for most time spent at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 album chart. It was at the top for 17 straight weeks. As an actor, Cyrus acting credits include guest appearances on The Nanny, Diagnosis Murder, Love Boat and DeGrassi: The Next Generation and the lead role on the hit series Doc and on Disney’s
Hannah Montana , where he acts alongside his daughter,
Miley . In 1999, he appeared in the indie flick Radical Jack, afterwhich he was given a small role in the psychological thriller Mulholland Drive.
Currently, Cyrus’ dancing skills are being put to the test as he has been cast as one of the “Stars” on ABC’s hit reality series, Dancing with the Stars. Cyrus is partnered with dancer
Karina Smirnoff .
Billy Ray Cyrus and Karina Smirnoff
(Photos courtesy of ABC)