Billy Ray Cyrus is reflecting on daughter Miley Cyrus dropping her last name after previous tension.
“Family means more than ever now,” Billy Ray, 65, wrote via Instagram on Wednesday, September 2. “I always called my little girl Miley. Just … Miley. Just like I always called my little boy Braison. Bet you didn’t know … I was just CYRUS before Achy Breaky Heart came out in 92. All of my swag and T shirts only read. CYRUS SOME GAVE ALL with a picture of a POW MIA flag on it that and the words .. ‘You are not forgotten.’”
Billy Ray shared that he told Miley, 33, one day earlier that he “felt good about her going with her first name.”
“I mentioned Dolly and Cher. Thinkin about it more and more … Elvis .. Prince …and so on,” he wrote. “It’s a natural progression for an iconic superstar legend. And the legend continues! Looking forward to the new album.”
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He concluded, “Now … if only Mercury / Polygram would have just not insisted on the ‘Billy Ray’ part and just let me be CYRUS…… I could have done something!!! Ha ha !!! 🤣 All good. 👍🏼.”
Days earlier, Miley made headlines when she dropped “Cyrus” from her social media handles and became just “Miley.” She then revealed that her 10th studio album, Bass Persuades, would be released on September 18.
“Music takes hold of us. We feel it, sing it, sometimes dance to it, let it out and carry on. It is powerful, vulnerable, sweet and strong,” she wrote via Instagram. “Heart full, heartache, every part of life in between. That’s what the title means to me.”
She continued, “Thank you for being a part of making my wildest dreams come true. I sincerely hope you love this album. ❤️ Miley.”
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Billy Ray’s support comes after a period of ups and downs for the Cyrus family. While Billy Ray and Miley’s relationship was fractured after his divorce from Tish Cyrus, the father-daughter duo ultimately mended their bond. (Tish is now married to Dominic Purcell, while Billy Ray is in a relationship with Elizabeth Hurley.)
“My dad and I have had our challenges over the years,” Miley wrote in a March 2025 statement. “Now, in my 30s, family is my priority above all else. I’m at peace knowing bridges have been built and time has done a lot of healing. Grateful for the good health and love that flows through my family.”
