Billy Ray Cyrus Net Worth: Early Years, Career & More!

By Jaslin On Nov 17, 2022

William Ray Cyrus, an American singer, and actor was born on August 25, 1965, as the son of Ron Cyrus, an American government official, and Ruth Ann Casto. His grandfather was a gospel preacher at a Pentecostal church, and he grew up surrounded by Christian music, which influenced him to love and develop an amazing passion for music at a young age. Billy Ray Cyrus attended Georgetown College on a baseball scholarship but dropped out after a few years owing to his love of music.

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Billy Ray Cyrus Early Years

Billy Ray Cyrus was born on August 25, 1961, in Flatwoods, Kentucky, to politician Ron Cyrus and former steelworker Ruth Ann Casto. By the age of four, Cyrus was already showing off his singing abilities. In 1966, his parents split. His grandfather was a Pentecostal preacher, and he grew up listening to gospel and bluegrass music. He was a baseball scholarship student at Georgetown College, but he dropped out in his junior year to pursue music.

Billy Ray Cyrus’ Career

Cyrus was a member of the band Sly Dog and lived in his neighbor’s car while looking for a record deal. His fortunes changed when he signed with Mercury Nashville Records and opened for Reba McEntire. In 1992, Cyrus released his debut album, “Some Gave All.”

It was an instant hit and a commercial triumph. The album debuted at the top of the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. Four of the album’s songs charted in the top 40. “Achy Breaky Heart” was the most successful single. The album was certified 9x multi-platinum in the United States and was the first debut album to debut at number one on the Billboard Country Albums chart.

“It Won’t Be the Last,” his second studio album, was released in 1993. It debuted at No. 1 on the rankings as well. In 1994, he released his third album for Mercury Records, “Storm in the Heartland.” The album failed to register in the top ten, while the singles likewise failed to chart.

Cyrus released his most critically lauded album, “Trail of Tears,” in 1996, despite the singles’ chart performance being hit or miss. Cyrus’ final album for Mercury, “Shot Full of Love,” was released in 1998. It was his lowest-charting album, and Cyrus departed Mercury in 1999 to work for Monument Records.

His debut album with them was released in 2000, and it was met with different degrees of the chart and commercial success. He then moved on to Christian music, where he released two albums. Cyrus returned to music after a brief absence and shifted to acting in 2008, and went on to create six more albums. He appeared on the remix of artist Lil Nas X’s rap song “Old Town Road,” which reached the top of the Billboard charts. The song was nominated for numerous Grammy Awards.

Cyrus has released 16 studio albums and 53 singles in his career. “Achy Breaky Heart” is his most well-known hit. In Australia, the single was the first to go triple platinum. The song has been translated into over 100 languages, and it is credited with popularising line dancing. Billy Ray Cyrus’ singles “Could’ve Been Me” and “In the Heart of a Woman,” both peaked at number one.

From 2001 through 2004, Cyrus starred in the TV sitcom “Doc.” In 2001, Cyrus appeared in David Lynch’s film “Mulholland Drive.” In 2005, he appeared in a Toronto theatrical version of “Annie Get Your Gun.” He has appeared in a number of television shows, including “The Nanny” and “The Love Boat.”

In 2009, Cyrus “won” a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actor for her performance in “Hannah Montana: The Movie.” He appeared in Jackie Chan’s 2010 film “The Spy Next Door.” Later that year, he and his son Trace Cyrus starred in the Syfy show “UFO: Unbelievably Freakin’ Obvious.”

From 2005 until 2011, he co-starred in the Disney Channel’s “Hannah Montana” with his daughter Miley Cyrus. In 2009, he produced “Hannah Montana: The Movie,” and in 2011, he produced eight episodes of the sitcom “Surprise Homecoming.”

He began acting in and producing the television series “Still the King” in 2016. He also appears in “Sharknado 2: The Second One” in 2014. He and his daughter also appeared in “Dancing with the Stars” season four. Cyrus has also been the subject of numerous documentaries on his life and work. He is on the Parents Television Council’s advisory board.

He has received almost 40 honors, including the American Music Awards, the Academy of Country Music Awards, the Billboard Music Awards, and the World Music Awards. He received the Bob Hope Award for Excellence in Entertainment in 1995. Billy Ray received two Grammy Awards in 2020 for his performance on the “Old Town Road” remix: Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Best Music Video.

Billy Ray Cyrus’ Personal Life

Cyrus has two marriages and six children, including Miley Cyrus (born Destiny Hope in 1992), Trace Cyrus, and Noah Cyrus. From 1986 to 1991, he was married to Cindy Smith. They collaborated on the tracks “Whither Am I Gonna Live?” and “Some Gave All.” Cyrus’ debut album included the tracks.

Billy married actress and producer Leticia Jean Finley at a private wedding in 1993. His record label had prevented him from doing so. He adopted two small children from Finley’s prior marriages as part of the marriage.

The family lived on a farm near Nashville, Tennessee, before moving to Los Angeles to film “Hannah Montana.” Tish filed for divorce in 2013, while Cyrus filed for divorce in 2010. The divorce was legally dissolved in 2017 after the pair went to treatment and dropped the divorce. Trish filed for divorce in April 2022, after 28 years of marriage.

Billy Ray Cyrus’ Net Worth

Billy Ray Cyrus is a $20 million net-worth American country music singer-songwriter and actor. He is likely best known as Miley Cyrus’ father, but he has also had a successful musical career.