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Got a âtweenâ-ager? Or a pulse? Then itâs almost a sure bet youâve heard about pop teen queen, Miley Cyrus, and her alter ego, Hannah Montana. But just in case you havenât⦠The vivacious Cyrusâall of 15âstars and sings in her own #1-rated Disney Channel TV show, Hannah Montana. She just wrapped up a 70-city concert tour called âHannah Montana-Miley Cyrus: The Best of Both Worldsâ in January, playing to sell-out crowds and rave reviews. Her new movie by the same titleâa 3-D version of the concertâopened in limited release (683 theatres) and quickly set a Super Bowl weekend premiere record, raking in $31 million at the box office and prompting a longer run through Valentineâs Day.



Make no mistake about itâthe girl can rock. Miley Cyrus, daughter of country music star Billy Ray Cyrus, brings powerhouse vocals and charismatic stage presence to every performance, belting out self-composed songs about following your dreams, being yourself and having fun. Her thoroughly G-rated shows attract mostly grade school and tween-age girlsâand their parents. One father, who managed to secure movie tickets for his euphoric daughter, notes, âThere was nothing about Hannah or Mileyâs performance that made me uncomfortable. Sheâs likeable and wholesome and really seems to enjoy what she does. You canât beat that; even if the screaming did get a little loud!â



And while the talented Miley may be one hot commodity in the entertainment industry, she remains determinedly well-grounded, thanks to her faith in God and the support of her close-knit familyâand especially her famous father.



The Long Dream



Mileyâa childhood nickname she earned by being a âsmileyâ babyâcame along in 1992, the same year Billy Ray shot to the top of the country music charts with his monster hit, âAchy Breaky Heart.â The album, Some Gave All, sold nine million copies and topped the pop charts for a record-smashing 17 weeks, making Billy Ray Cyrus a household name.



While being in the limelight offers its advantages, the soulful singer also calls it âa double-edged sword.â For several years, Billy Ray chose to settle down with his wife, Tish, and their five childrenâson, Trace; daughter, Brandi; daughter, Miley; son Braison; and daughter Noahâon their 500-acre farm near Nashville.



In between cutting records, Billy Ray spent a lot of time with the family, riding horses and ATVs, working on the farm, singing and attending church every Sunday. âThose were great family years,â Billy Ray says and smiles. âFaith in God has always been a big part of my life, and Tish and I try hard to make sure the kids have that solid foundation in their lives.â



To understand Mileyâs drive and dreams, it helps to take a quick glance back at Billy Rayâs life. The Flatlands, Kentucky native, now 46, grew up singing gospel with his father, Ronald Ray Cyrus. The elder Cyrusâa well-known state politicianâperformed as a member of the Crownsmen Quartet, traveling all over Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia. He even appeared occasionally on Happy Goodmans Jubilee, a Sunday morning gospel TV show.



âI started singing as soon as I could talk,â Billy Ray says. âThereâs footage of me singing with my dad on stage when I was three or four. Combining music with spirituality has always been an important part of who I am and what I believe.â



Then life took a darker turn, as it often does. At age 12, Billy Ray lost his grandfather, a Pentecostal preacher and his beloved mentor. Soon after that, his parents divorced. âI became very angry during that time,â he shares. âReflecting on some of my actions, ârebellious juvenile delinquentâ might be putting it mildly. But before that, during and after, I still believed in God. I still believed that Jesus was my Lord and Savior. I never changed from my belief that there was an Almighty God above, and He had a Son named Jesus Christ, who lived and died so that sinners like me could be saved.â



And Billy Ray never quit singing. At 17, he calmed down, got baptized and attended Georgetown College, a small liberal arts college in Georgetown, Kentucky, on a baseball scholarship. Continuing to sing, play guitar and write songs, the handsome young crooner finally decided to pursue his recording dream full time. Moving to Los Angeles, he worked relentlessly, signing with Mercury Nashville Records in 1990. Two years later, his first album and the catchy âAchy Breaky Heartâ made him a star.



âSometimes when people interview me, they call me an âinstant success,ââ comments Billy Ray, referring to Some Gave All. âThat record came out when I was 30! Iâve been singing since I was three. Thatâs a lot of years of persistence, dedication and faith applied to a dream. I used to ignore those comments, but I donât anymore. Iâve worked hard to get where I am. There was nothing âinstantâ about it.â



Over the next six years, Billy Ray pumped out four more albums: Storm in the Heartland (1994), Trail of Tears (1996), Shot Full of Love (1998) and Southern Rain (2000). By most peopleâs standards, heâd more than fulfilled his dream of making it big. As it turns out, the dreams were just beginning.



Keep It Real



In 2001, Billy Ray switched to acting, landing the starring role in Doc, a comedy-drama about a Montana doctor who relocates to New York City. The show ran for four years, shooting in Toronto. Young Miley often hung out on the setâand caught the acting bug.



âI tried to discourage her, but that didnât work,â Billy Ray says and chuckles. Instead, he signed her up for acting lessons. Miley earned a guest role on Doc and also snagged a small part in the 2003 Tim Burton film, Big Fish.



In 2005, her big break arrived. Disney Channel announced auditions for a new L.A.-based show called Hannah Montanaâa show about a young teen who is an ordinary brown-haired school girl by day and a blonde-wigged international pop star by night. Knowing she had the pipes and the acting chops to play the dual role, twelve-year-old Miley begged to try out. Billy Ray obliged.



Initially, Disney producers thought Miley was too young for the part. Eventually, of course, they changed their minds. Then, needing someone to play the part of Miley/Hannahâs father on the show, the producers turned to her real-life daddy. The rest, as they say, is history.



âI said Iâd never do another television series after Doc,â Billy Ray says and laughs. âI guess God had other plans for us.â



Part of those plans included relocating the entire family to Los Angelesânot an easy move. Billy Ray relates, âI stayed behind on the farm to wrap up some details. I thought I was ready, but when I watched them pull out with the U-Haul, I realized I was at a crossroads as a parentâthat moment of letting go.â



Billy Ray walked into his house, picked up his guitarâan old friendâand started singing: âSheâs gotta do what sheâs gotta do, and Iâve gotta like it or not. Sheâs got dreams too big for this town, and she needs to give them a shot, wherever they are. Sheâs waiting on my blessings, before she hits that open road. Baby, get ready, get set, donât go.â



It clicked. âI knew at that moment the song was something special,â says Billy Ray. âI called the best songwriter I knew. Within 10 minutes, Casey Beathard was at my door. Within 25 minutes weâd finished the song and cut the demo.â



When Disney heard âReady, Set, Donât Goâ they immediately wrote a Hannah Montana episode around the song. âIt was obvious the song was art imitating life, imitating art. It was very real,â says Billy Ray.



The reality shines through, too. The song, which Billy Ray recorded as a duet with Miley, is #5 on the country music charts and climbing fast. It is helping his latest album, Home at Last, reach blockbuster status as well.



âWhen I write a song, I donât sit down and say, âokay, Iâm going to write a song today at 10 oâclock.â My songs come to me when Iâm dealing with moments of inspiration, or desperation, or both. There used to be this wonderful realism in country music, when artists lived and sang what they lived. This song is a moment of realism that has unfolded before audiences around the world. I wrote the song because it happened in my life. That is the definition of musicâitâs real. And being real is what Iâve always tried to do as an artist and a human being.â



Now, with Miley reaching blockbuster status all on her own, Billy Ray finds himself in the inimitable position of helping his indomitable daughter handle the white lights of fame and fortune.



âI live the words to that song every day,â he shares. âI know the spot sheâs in, because Iâve been there. Itâs a big cross to bear. Pressure comes from all sides. Itâs hard enough to deal with when you are 30. Itâs happening to her at 15.â



But even as they watch, Billy Ray and mom, Tish, stick close to Miley. Billy Ray works with her every day on the Hannah Montana set. Tish doubles as her manager, traveling to every city and taking along big sister, Brandi, who plays guitar in Mileyâs band. Both parents work hard to help keep her life as ânormalâ as possible and to avoid the tragedies of so many well-known child stars.



Their work seems to be paying off. On the Oprah show last November, Oprah asked Miley to share her favorite Bible verse. Without hesitation, Miley declared, âEphesians 6:10-11, âFinally, my brother, come close to the Lord, for if you put on the full armor of God you can stand against the wiles of the devil.ââ



For Daddy, that moment stands as a parenting high point. âI named the child Destiny Hope before she was born because I felt it was her destiny to bring hope to the world,â he says. âThere is no bigger hope than Jesus Christ. For Miley to be able to show the kids that itâs cool to believeâthatâs powerful stuff. I was really proud of her for that, maybe the proudest Iâve ever been, even with all the things sheâs accomplished.â



Keep It Fun



So whatâs next for the Cyrus superstars? For Miley, a few precious weeks of rest before she and Billy Ray start shooting the Hannah Montana feature film in April.



âI told Miley to go home and lay it down,â says Billy Ray in daddy mode. âSheâs been working really, really hard for the last two-and-a-half years. Now, I hope sheâll take a month-and-a-half to just be a kid. I want her to ride her bike. I want her to swim in the pool. I want her to play with her dog. She needs to catch up on lost time.â



As for Billy Ray, heâs busy filming Bait Shop, a made-for-DVD movie with Bill Engvall. âBill wrote the script, and it is funny, funny, funny,â Billy Ray says. âI play the bad guy, Hot Rod Johnson. Itâs my ultimate challenge as an actor, and boy, is it fun.â



And âkeeping it funâ is what the musical actor recommendsâboth for his career and Mileyâs. âMy dad always said âif you love what you do for a living, youâll never work another day in your life.â Truer words were never spoken. Miley and I have a motto, on and off the set: âIf you ainât havinâ fun, it ainât worth it.â



âAs long as sheâs having fun and doing what she loves, then we are doing the right thing,â he concludes. âThe moment sheâs tired of it, I say we head back home to Tennessee and ride horses!â



By Karen Kassel Hutto