Billy Ray and Miley Cyrus

Billy Ray and Miley Cyrus are a father/daughter duo in a constant spotlight as key players on the country music scene. With success and experience in music, television, and movies, they are a pair well suited for this spotlight. While they don’t work together in all of their ventures, the two are seen as a pair because of Hannah Montana, Miley’s wildly popular Disney show where Billy Ray plays her father, and because of their close bond as father and daughter. Throughout the years the two have made quite an impact on the music scene of the south. With Miley coming up on adulthood, that impact is sure to continue.

Billy Ray Cyrus was born in Kentucky and raised the son of a politician. He grew up surrounded by music. His father was a member of a gospel group, which Billy eventually became part of, and his mother played bluegrass with Billy on the weekends. Even his grandmother was musically inclined, lending her talent as a hoedown fiddler; music was a natural part of Billy’s life. In his early twenties Billy decided to pursue a music career. He bought a guitar and formed a band called Sly Dog. The future, however, would prove that success for Billy was best found as a solo artist. He eventually went solo and almost ten years after he started his career he signed a contract with Mercury Records. His first album was released in the early nineties. The album was a success, climbing to the top of the pop charts. The song “Achy Breaky Heart” was a big reason for this success. It was a crossover hit, loved by both country and pop fans. His following albums were successful, but not as explosive as the first. The crossover quality of “Achy Breaky Heart” just wasn’t part of his later albums.

The year following Billy’s first album release, he had a daughter which he named Destiny Hope Cyrus. Always smiling, the little girl quickly earned herself the nickname Smiley, which was eventually shortened to Miley. Growing up in her father’s shadow, Miley watched his efforts at keeping his career alive. Though at times it was painful to watch, she knew she wanted to follow in her father’s footsteps. At the age of thirteen, Miley auditioned for the role of Hannah Montana. Her energetic personality won her the role, and the character of Hannah Montana brought Miley superstar fame.

Playing Hannah Montana, a girl who hides her identity as a major pop star, Miley was able to incorporate her musical talent into the show. She proved herself as an able actress and a definite pop star. Knowing that Hannah Montana wouldn’t last forever, Miley began pushing for a career as a music artist. Her first album was released with Miley performing as Hannah Montana. Her second album “Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus” incorporated both the fictional character and her true self. It wasn’t until her third album, however, that the world really got a taste of Miley without the Hannah Montana image. Her third album, Breakout, hit number one on Billboard’s list of two hundred albums. Miley is now, by her own merit, a pop superstar. She has also legally changed her name from Destiny Hope Cyrus to Miley Ray Cyrus.

Billy Ray and Miley Cyrus, country’s most famous father/daughter pair, have enjoyed astronomical success in the past years. Though Billy, in the early years of his career, never experienced the level of fame of some country stars, he’s now seeing not only his dream come to fruition, but the dreams of his teenage daughter as well. Today the pair may very well be America’s favourite father/daughter duo.