Song:Achy Breaky Heart
Album:Icon: The Distance
Achy Breaky Heart was one of the biggest hits of 1992. It topped the country charts and crossed over to pop. The album Some Gave All sold almost five million copies. And it even spawned a dance craze. But Billy Ray Cyrus has never had another big hit so I guess it was a double edged sword. He was born Aug. 25, 1961 in Flatwoods, KY. His father Ron Cyrus was in the Kentucky House of Representatives for many years. His grandfather was a preacher so he grew up singing in church. Cyrus attended Georgetown on a baseball scholarship. He had a band with his brother called Sly Dog. After getting a steady gig in Ohio, Cyrus left school. Sly Dog split up after a 1984 fire burned down their house and all their gear. Eventually Cyrus moved to Nashville where country music star Del Reeves spotted him and Reeves told Mercury Records to check him out. Cyrus recorded his 1992 debut album Some Gave All with producers Jim Cotton and Joe Scaife. They had previously worked with K.T. Oslin. Achy Breaky Heart was the first single. It not only topped the country charts but it reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and it inspired a dance craze. Though Cyrus did write half the songs on his album, Achy Breaky Heart was written by Don Von Tress for The Oak Ridge Boys. Their lead singer Duane Allen didn't like the title. It was recorded in 1991 as Don't Tell My Heart by The Marcy Brothers who released an album on Warner Bros. Cyrus heard Von Tress' demo and liked the song. The song was so popular that it inspired parodies and tributes. There was also a backlash especially in Nashville where critics bemoaned the state of country music. Cyrus recorded five albums for Mercury and he had six top ten country hits. Trying to recreate the Achy Breaky Heart success was always going to be a tall order. You can get all of Cyrus' hits on this budget comp. After leaving Mercury, Cyrus recorded for Monument, Word and Disney among others. His latest album was released on his own label in 2017. He also formed Brother Clyde with Phil Vassar, Jeffrey Steele and John Waite. They released an album in 2010. He also got into acting mostly on TV. He starred in the PAX TV series Doc from 2001-2004. And of course his daughter Miley Cyrus is a huge pop star. But Billy Ray Cyrus has been immortalized by Achy Breaky Heart. Here's the video for Achy Breaky Heart by Billy Ray Cyrus.
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