Miley Cyrus

Full Biography
On the Disney Channel series “Hannah Montana” (2006- ), Miley Cyrus played a perky, charming middle-school student who just happened to lead a double life as the pop queen Hannah Montana, disguising her true identity by means of a wig. While the premise was the definition of hokey TV fabrications, it was actually not too far removed from Cyrus’ own life. The decidedly normal young girl from Nashville, TN, also happened to be the daughter of ‘90s country chart-topper-turned-actor Billy Ray Cyrus, and began launching her own singing career in addition to fronting “Hannah Montana.”
Born Nov. 23, 1992, Cyrus was the middle child of six, earning the name “Miley” due to her sunny outlook and beaming grin while still a baby. Dad Billy Ray dubbed her “Smiley,” which was later shortened to “Miley” (Cyrus’ birth name was Destiny Hope). Cyrus got an early taste of performing, thanks to her dad’s juggernaut music career, culminating in his best-selling (but since that time, much maligned) single, “My Achy-breaky heart.” As a toddler, she frequently appeared onstage at his concerts to perform a song or two with him. When the elder Cyrus moved into acting, his daughter caught the bug and wrangled a few appearances on his TV series “Doc” (PAX, 2001-04). This led to a small role in Tim Burton’s fantasy feature “Big Fish,” (2003) for which she was billed as Destiny Cyrus.

Bolstered by these appearances, Cyrus began pursuing an acting career in earnest, and at age 11, caught the eye of Disney Channel producers (including Michael Poryes, co-creator of the network’s biggest then hit, “That’s So Raven”) when they began casting for “Hannah Montana.” Concerns over her age and height (Cyrus is 5’ 4”) were dismissed once they saw her way with both a line and a song (Cyrus had a surprisingly mature voice for her age), and by the time she turned 13, the multi-talented girl was starring in her own Disney Channel series. Making it a true family affair, Dad Billy Ray joined her on the show to play her father-manager and dole out countrified advice (and to lend the exceptionally manic series a moment or two of quiet).

“Hannah Montana” debuted on The Disney Channel on March 26, 2004 to record ratings, solidifying the show as the network’s newest hit. The inevitable tie-in products soon followed – a soundtrack CD, with five songs crooned by Cyrus, including the title theme, “Best of Both Worlds,” which cracked the Billboard Top 100 singles charts; “Hannah”-related DVDs; video games; and other ephemera were snapped up to the delight of the young fans. Cyrus also contributed a version of “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah” to the fourth volume of the phenomenally popular Disney Mania CD series in April of 2006 (she could also be heard on her father’s 2006 release, “Wanna Be Your Joe”). In June of that year, she performed as Hannah Montana live concert as Hannah Montana at Disney World, as well as signed a four-album deal with Disney’s Hollywood Records.

After an extremely lucrative and higher-profile 2007; one in which her "Hannah Montana" tour sold out astronomically – with parents desperate to appease their children by paying unreasonably high prices on E-bay or through scalpers. It was, simply, the tour of the year, dollar and hype-wise. However, the same week Cyrus graced the cover of People magazine in April of 2008, and only two weeks after performing two fan-friendly numbers on Fox's "American Idol Gives Back" charity special, Cyrus posed for a spread in Vanity Fair shot by legendary photographer, Annie Liebovitz, which erupted into a firestorm of controversy after the pictures were leaked onto the Internet. Posing semi-topless, with only a white sheet held in front, the backless photos of Disney's 15-year-old cash cow erupted into a mainstream media topic – the question of whether children, particularly young girls, were growing up too fast; too sexual, and whether the many outraged mothers who took to blogs or TV talk shows, were justified in their anger. Cyrus, herself, immediately issued an apology, proclaiming the shots were supposed to be "artistic," and that she never meant to offend the millions of tweens who looked up to her.


Profession(s):
actress, singer, musician

Sometimes Credited As:
Destiny Hope Cyrus
Hannah Montana
Miley Ray Cyrus


Family
brother:Braison Cyrus (Born c. 1994; mother, Leticia “Tish” Cyrus)
father:Billy Ray Cyrus (Born in 1961; best known for the 1992 hit single “Achy Breaky Heart”; co-starred in the Disney Channel series, "Hannah Montana" starring his daughter Miley Cyrus)
godmother:Dolly Parton (Appeared in an episode of “Hannah Montana”)
half-brother:Christopher Cody Cyrus (Born c. 1992; Billy's son from a previous relationship)
half-brother:Trace Cyrus (Born c. 1989; from mother’s previous relationship with Baxter Neal Helson; legally adopted by Billy Ray Cyrus)
half-sister:Brandi Cyrus (Born c. 1987; from mother’s previous relationship; legally adopted by Billy Ray Cyrus; guitarist in Miley’s band)
mother:Leticia Cyrus (Born c. 1967; AKA Tish; Miley’s manager; married Miley’s father Dec. 28, 1992)
sister:Noah Cyrus (Born c. 2000; mother, Leticia “Tish” Cyrus)


Companion(s)
Nicholas Jonas , Companion , ```..Born c. 1992; member of the rock trio The Jonas Brothers


Education
Heritage Middle School Franklin, TN

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