Hannah Montana
Many know Billy Ray Cyrus from “Hannah Montana,” but surprisingly, in an interview with GQ, he expressed his disdain towards the show, saying, “The damn show destroyed my family. I'd take it back in a second.” Nine years later, Cyrus had a change of heart and said he’s on board for doing a prequel.
Road to fame
Cyrus was originally focused on building a career as a baseball player, but it all changed when he “traded that catcher's mitt in and bought a left-handed guitar.” In 1990, Cyrus opened for Reba McEntire, and his performance led to Mercury Records signing him, resulting in his breakout hit, “Achy Breaky Heart.”
Love for sandwiches
In 2009, Cyrus campaigned for Hellmann’s and Best Foods Mayonnaise’s Sandwich Swap ‘n’ Share program, which benefited Feeding America. Cyrus was honored and passionate to be on this mission to relieve hunger, and he even claimed, “You can't find a bigger sandwich fan than me.”
Career switch
Before he switched to music, Cyrus was being scouted to be a catcher in the MLB, which had been a dream of his since childhood. His fate changed when he won tickets to a Neil Diamond concert which made him realize “the power of a song” and how a performer holds sway over an audience.
end of an era
In 2011, Cyrus had planned to retire after releasing the album “I’m America,” which documented a lot of his personal life. However, after the release of “I’m America,” Cyrus couldn’t stop himself from writing more songs for a new album, so he didn’t retire after all.