Coyote Music News

Coyote Music News

Coyote Music News

Billy Ray Cyrus is a country star who has had many careers in his time since he first hit it big in May of 1992 when his song “Achy Breaky Heart” had everyone singing. His look at the time was a long mullet, usually a tank top showing off his muscles, jeans, and high-top tennis shoes. And there is no doubt he is a good-looking guy.

After his huge “Achy Breaky” success, and then some time doing various acting gigs, he hit the big time once again as the dad on the Disney Channel’s Hanna Montana in 2006. In the show, Billy Ray played the dad to his real daughter, Miley Cyrus, who became a superstar and still is today.

Fun fact: In the movie premiere for Hanna Montana, a relatively unknown new Nashville singer named Taylor Swift made her way on the red carpet. She, of course, had a song she wrote for the movie called “Crazier,” which she played in a scene in the film.

Needless to say, the Hanna Montana craze was Billy Ray’s second big career bump. Then there was the third that no one saw coming: Billy Ray teamed with Lil’ Nas X in 2019 for the smash hit. “Old Town Road” blending country and rap seamlessly. The duo even joined Keith Urban on stage at CMA Fest that year. “Old Town Road” became the highest certified song ever by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), reaching 14-times platinum status in the U.S.. The collaboration also won at the 62nd annual Grammy Awards for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Best Music Video. The YouTube five-minute mini-movie for “Old Town Road” has over 686 million views to date.

Cyrus has released sixteen full albums in his career and has scored many times on the country charts. As Billy Ray, who is engaged to be married to singer Firerose, celebrated his 62nd birthday today (8/25), we take a look at five songs that made him a superstar.

RELATED: Billy Ray Cyrus Is Engaged, And She's Barely Older Than Miley

  • "Could've Been Me" (1992)

    Cyrus’s second single was released in July 1992 from his multi-platinum-selling debut album, Some Gave All. The song reached number 2 on the U.S. Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, and it also reached number 1 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart. It followed the number 1 song, “Achy Breaky Heart.” The chorus of the song sings, “It could’ve been me / Standing there with you / Could’ve been me / And my dreams coming true / But those dreams move on if you wait too long / It took me to now to see, it could’ve been me.”

  • "Busy Man" (1998)

    A mild hit song for Cyrus in the late 1990s. This song was released in August 1998 as the second single from his album “Shot Full of Love.” The song peaked at number 3 on the U.S. country singles charts in early 1999, becoming his first Top 10 hit since “Somebody New” in 1993. His next impact on country radio wasn’t until 2007’s “Ready, Set, Don’t Go” with his daughter Miley. While it was a hit, they did not release a video for the song.

  • "Ready, Set, Don't Go" with Miley Cyrus (2007)

    First released as a solo single by Billy Ray, it was released as the lead single from “Home at Last,” Cyrus’ tenth studio album, on August 13, 2007. The video features some of Cyrus’s home movies featuring a baby Miley. It received a CMT Music Award nomination at the 2008 CMT Music Awards. The song eventually became re-released as a duet with Miley. At the time of the single’s release, she was 14 and enjoying the success of her debut album “Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus.” The duet version became Miley’s debut in country music.

  • "Achy Breaky Heart" (1992)

    The song that brought Billy Ray to the dance and was a huge hit. “Achy Breaky Heart” was Cyrus’ debut single and signature song. It became the first single ever to achieve triple platinum status in Australia. In the United States, it became a crossover hit on pop and country radio, peaking at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topping the Hot Country Songs chart, becoming the first country single to be certified platinum since “Islands in the Stream” by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton in 1983.

  • "Old Town Road" by Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus - (2019)

    This was one of the biggest songs in any genre in 2010. It did spark a bit of controversy, though, having initially gained popularity on the social video-sharing app TikTok and eventually entered the Billboard charts in March 2019. The song reached number 19 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart before the magazine disqualified it from the chart on the grounds that it did not fit the genre, sparking a debate on the definition of country music. Despite saying it was not country, “Old Town Road” won in the Musical Event of the Year category for the CMA Awards in 2019. It bested songs by country music heavyweights, including Garth Brooks, Blake Shelton, and Brooks & Dunn.

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