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", which revived line dancing, 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.