Billy Ray Cyrus (born
August 25,
1961) is an American
country singer, best known for the hit single "Achy Breaky Heart" (
1992). Cyrus originally intended on playing
baseball until quitting
Georgetown College[?] (where he had a baseball scholarship) to form a band called
Sly Dog with his brother. After moving to
Los Angeles alone, Cyrus signed to
Mercury Records[?] in
1990. The success of "Achy Breaky Heart" and its album,
Some Gave All[?], made Cyrus into a superstar.
Cyrus' follow-up, It Won't Be the Last[?], began strong but sales wound up being disappointing compared to Some Gave All. Storm in the Heartland[?] (1994), Trail of Tears[?] (1996), Shot Full of Love[?] (1998) and Southern Rain[?] (2000) similarly sold only to a diminishing audience. In 2001, Cyrus began a role on the sitcom Doc.