Billy Ray Cyrus (born August 25, 1961) is a Grammy Award-nominated American country music singer, songwriter and actor, best known for his #1 single "Achy Breaky Heart." Cyrus, a multi-platinum selling recording artist, has scored a total of eight top-ten singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. His most successful album to date is the debut of Some Gave All, which has been certified 9× Multi-Platinum in the United States and is the longest time spent by debut artist at #1 on the Billboard 200 (17 consecutive weeks). The album has also sold more than 20 million copies worldwide and is the Best selling debut album of all time for a solo male artist. In his career, he has released 29 charted singles, of which 15 charted in the Top 40.

From 2001 to 2004, Cyrus starred in the television show Doc. The show was about a country doctor who moved from Montana to New York City. In late 2005, he also began to co-star in the Disney Channel series Hannah Montana with his daughter Miley Cyrus. The show has been on the air for three seasons.

Cyrus was born William Ray Cyrus in Flatwoods, Kentucky to Ron Cyrus, a politician, and his wife, the former Ruth Ann Casto. Growing up, he was surrounded by bluegrass and gospel music from his family. His father, a right-handed man, played guitar. Billy Ray, on the other hand, was a lefty. He tried to play his father's guitar, but could never learn. His grandfather was a Pentecostal preacher. Cyrus went to college at Georgetown College on a baseball scholarship before switching his focus to music. From 1980 to 1990, Cyrus played at bars before getting a record deal with Mercury Nashville Records.