Billy Ray Cyrus’ net worth has been built in over three decades of singing, songwriting, and acting. While his music and acting careers fared well over the years, it is undeniable that his 1992 smashing debut was the one that put him on the map, made him a homely name, and created his career. And from “Achy Breaky Heart” to his recently released collaboration single “Roll That Rock,” he is nowhere near stopping in creating more hits.
So, let’s get to know more about this country crooner and some other things you still probably don’t know about him.
1. He is a Kentucky native and was born to a family of musicians.
William “Billy” Ray Cyrus was born on August 25, 1961 in Flatwoods, Kentucky, to parents Ron and Ruth Ann Cyrus. His dad Ron was a known politician in the area and a former steelworker, and he was also an amateur guitarist. On the other hand, his mom Ruth was a piano player. Cyrus grew up surrounded by bluegrass and gospel music.
He tried playing the guitar at a young age, but his initial attempts to teach himself were foiled by the fact that he was left-handed. That was because he was using his dad’s guitar for practice, and unlike him, his dad was right-handed. It took years before he finally got the right guitar for him and learned how to really play it.
2. Billy Ray was an all-star baseball and football player back in high school.
Before he became a musician, he was actually a baseball player, and his skills even got him a sports scholarship to attend Georgetown College, a small Christian liberal arts school just west of the Allegheny Mountains. But he never graduated. During his junior year, after attending a Neil Diamond concert, he realized he wanted to do music, so he dropped the bat and picked up a guitar instead.
Later on, there were questions about whether he did graduate from Howard, which is a historically black university. The rumor started after host Regina Hall introduced him as one of Howard’s own during the red carpet interview at the 2019 BET Awards. And of course, Twitter had so many thoughts about it. But the truth is Billy Ray Cyrus never attended Howard University, and Hall was just joking with him!
3. He had a band Sly Dog named after a one-eyed dog he owned.
After dropping out, he and his brother formed their own country-rock band called Sly Dog. They had minor success, but after a fire burned down their home club and gear in 1984, the band broke up, and Billy Ray relocated to Los Angeles, California to pursue a solo career. But he had little luck, so he moved back to Kentucky before finally making a move to Nashville. Then in 1990, he signed a record deal with Mercury Records.
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4. His debut album ‘Some Gave All‘ became the best-selling album of 1992 and one of the biggest selling albums of all time.
‘Some Gave All‘ remains to be the most successful album in his entire music catalogue, selling over 20 million copies worldwide. Not to mention that it has also been certified 9x multi-platinum in the US and produced four hit singles across the Billboard country charts. One of those singles was his breakthrough song “Achy Breaky Heart,” which topped the Hot Country Songs chart for five weeks and reached number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. Not only that, but the song also became the first-ever single to become certified triple Platinum in Australia.
5. He is very close with the legendary country music artist Dolly Parton.
Dolly Parton has been a large influence in Billy Ray Cyrus’ career, especially when he was just starting out and making a name in the industry. The two started working together and developed a very close relationship. In fact, they became so close that rumors started to swirl that they were more than just friends. And then the rumors even made headlines. But contrary to the rumors and popular beliefs, they have never been involved in a romantic relationship with each other, and they’re not blood-related.
Although they are practically family now as Dolly is Miley’s godmother.
6. Aside from being a musician, he is also an actor.
In 2001, Cyrus took on the title role in the medical drama Doc. Then in 2006, he joined his daughter Miley in Disney’s Hannah Montana, where he played a fictionalized version of himself.
The show aired for four seasons before finally ending in 2011. But despite the show’s success, Cyrus regretted it. In an interview with GQ magazine, he said that the show destroyed his family. And if he could take it back just for his family to be happy, normal, and safe, he definitely will.
7. Billy Ray Cyrus and his wife Tish are still together and working on their marriage.
The two got married back on December 28, 1993, and will soon be celebrating 27 years of marriage this 2021. And during their decades-long marriage, the two actually attempted to divorce twice. But in the end, they decided they didn’t want to be just another statistic and tried to work on their marriage.
8. Billy Ray Cyrus’ net worth is estimated at around $20 million.
Billy Ray’s net worth is $20 million. This makes him one of the richest country music artists in the world. His earning power comes from all of his past hit songs and albums as well as royalties from those works.
