Billy Ray Cyrus Biography: ‘Achy Breaky Heart’ Country Star

October 16, 2026

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Billy Ray Cyrus Biography: ‘Achy Breaky Heart’ Country Star

Billy Ray Cyrus is an American country singer, songwriter, and actor whose 1992 debut single “Achy Breaky Heart” and album Some Gave All made him an overnight global star. He later played Robby Ray Stewart on Disney Channel’s Hannah Montana (2006–2011), then scored a record comeback on Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” remix. He is the father of Miley Cyrus and was reportedly engaged to Elizabeth Hurley in October 2026.

Quick Facts

Full name	William Ray Cyrus
Born	August 25, 1961, Flatwoods, Kentucky, USA
Nationality	American
Occupation	Singer-songwriter, musician, actor
Known for	“Achy Breaky Heart”, Some Gave All, Hannah Montana, “Old Town Road” remix
Spouse/partner	Reportedly engaged to Elizabeth Hurley (October 2026); previously married to Cindy Smith (1986–1991), Tish Cyrus (1993–2022), and Firerose (2023–2024)
Children	Six: Brandi, Trace, Miley, Noah, Braison, and Christopher Cody Cyrus

Early Life

Billy Ray Cyrus was born William Ray Cyrus on August 25, 1961, in Flatwoods, Kentucky, to Ron Cyrus, a steelworker who later served in the Kentucky House of Representatives, and Ruth Ann Casto (Celebrity Net Worth, Wikipedia). His grandfather was a Pentecostal preacher; bluegrass and gospel surrounded him from childhood, and he was singing by age four.

Music was not his first ambition — he attended Georgetown College on a baseball scholarship, then dropped out during his junior year to pursue music. Through the 1980s he played in the band Sly Dog before signing with Mercury Nashville Records (American Songwriter), after years of scraping by, at one point living in his neighbor’s car.

Career: “Achy Breaky Heart” and Country Stardom

Cyrus exploded in 1992 when debut single “Achy Breaky Heart” became a worldwide phenomenon — a line-dancing anthem that topped the country charts and earned him three 1993 Grammy nominations (Record of the Year, Best New Artist, Best Country Vocal Performance – Male), per American Songwriter.

His debut album Some Gave All was even bigger: it debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 and stayed there 17 consecutive weeks, finished as the best-selling US album of 1992 (4,832,000 copies), was certified 9× multi-platinum by the RIAA, and has sold over 20 million copies worldwide (Wikipedia, American Songwriter). Follow-ups never matched that run, and by the late 1990s his momentum had faded — until television gave him a second act.

Career: Acting and the Hannah Montana Years

From 2001 to 2004, Cyrus starred on the television series Doc as a country doctor in New York City. His defining TV role arrived in 2006: Robby Ray Stewart, the widowed country-singer father on Disney Channel’s Hannah Montana, opposite his real-life daughter Miley Cyrus. The series ran until 2011, became a global phenomenon, and introduced him to an entirely new generation of fans.

Career: The “Old Town Road” Comeback

Nearly three decades after “Achy Breaky Heart,” Cyrus engineered one of music’s great comebacks: in 2019 he joined Lil Nas X as the featured artist on the “Old Town Road” remix, lending country credibility to the country-trap track. It spent a then-record 19 consecutive weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, and at the 62nd Grammys in January 2020 earned Cyrus his first two Grammy wins: Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Best Music Video (Wikipedia, Celebrity Net Worth).

Major Achievements

Debut album Some Gave All: 17 weeks at #1 on the Billboard 200; best-selling US album of 1992; RIAA 9× multi-platinum; 20M+ copies sold worldwide.
“Achy Breaky Heart” (1992): global hit; three Grammy nominations (Record of the Year, Best New Artist, Best Country Vocal Performance – Male).
“Old Town Road” remix with Lil Nas X: 19 consecutive weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 — a then-all-time record.
Two Grammy Awards (2020): Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Best Music Video for “Old Town Road” — his first Grammy wins.
American Music Awards (Favorite Country New Artist, Favorite Country Single), Billboard Music Awards, and a Juno Award.
Hannah Montana (2006–2011): five seasons as Robby Ray Stewart on the global Disney Channel hit.

Billy Ray Cyrus: Personal Life and Family

Cyrus has six children: Miley, Noah, and Braison with his second wife, Tish Cyrus; Trace and Brandi, Tish’s children from a previous relationship whom he adopted; and Christopher Cody Cyrus with Kristin Luckey.

He married Cindy Smith (1986–1991), then Tish Cyrus (1993–2022). In October 2023 he married Australian singer Firerose; he filed for divorce in May 2024 and it was finalized on August 5, 2024 through a mediated settlement, per the Associated Press.

He met English actress Elizabeth Hurley filming the 2022 movie Christmas in Paradise, and they went public on Easter Sunday 2025. In October 2026, sources told Page Six that Cyrus had proposed and Hurley accepted — though neither has publicly confirmed it. If confirmed, it would be his fourth marriage.

Like Cyrus, fellow country icon Dolly Parton — who is also Miley Cyrus’s godmother — crossed over from country roots to mainstream cultural icon status.

Net Worth Snapshot

Billy Ray Cyrus’s net worth is estimated at $10–20 million as of 2026: Celebrity Net Worth (updated October 2026) puts it at $10 million, while other aggregators cluster around $20 million. No Forbes, Bloomberg, or Hurun estimate exists. The fortune spans the 20-million-copy Some Gave All era, Hannah Montana television earnings, and “Old Town Road” streaming royalties. Full methodology: Billy Ray Cyrus’s net worth.

Frequently Asked Questions

How old is Billy Ray Cyrus?

Billy Ray Cyrus is 65 years old. He was born William Ray Cyrus on August 25, 1961, in Flatwoods, Kentucky, USA.

Is Billy Ray Cyrus engaged to Elizabeth Hurley?

Sources told Page Six in October 2026 that Billy Ray Cyrus proposed to Elizabeth Hurley and she accepted, after the couple went public on Easter Sunday 2025. However, neither Cyrus nor Hurley has publicly confirmed the engagement themselves as of October 17, 2026.

How many children does Billy Ray Cyrus have?

Billy Ray Cyrus has six children: Brandi, Trace, Miley, Noah, and Braison (with ex-wife Tish Cyrus, with Trace and Brandi adopted from her previous relationship), and Christopher Cody Cyrus (with Kristin Luckey).

Did Billy Ray Cyrus win a Grammy for “Old Town Road”?

Yes. The “Old Town Road” remix earned Billy Ray Cyrus his first two Grammy Awards at the 62nd Grammys in January 2020: Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Best Music Video. His 1992 hit “Achy Breaky Heart” received three Grammy nominations but no wins.