Billy Ray Cyrus is changing his name to Cyrus.
The ‘Achy Breaky Heart’ hitmaker – whose daughter is Miley Cyrus – has revealed that he is legally changing his name and will only release new music under the changed moniker from August onwards.
He told Rolling Stone Country: "After August 25th, I will be the artist formerly known as Billy Ray. I’m just going by my last name Cyrus. I always went by Cyrus, and I begged Mercury Records to call me Cyrus in the beginning because that’s what I was comfortable with. I’m going to the hospital where I was born in Bellefonte, Kentucky, and legally changing my name."
Cyrus has just released a new version of his classic hit ‘Achy Breaky Heart’ and previously insisted he just wanted to "keep it real" with his music.
He said: "It all boils down to three words: keep it real. All the greats – Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, they all said the same thing: ‘Keep it real, and make your music because it’s your truth.’ I thank God I had friends around me to share that wisdom."
Meanwhile, Billy Ray’s daughter Brandi Cyrus previously revealed she was often teased about being his daughter, at the height of his fame.
She said: "For some reason, people love to hate a Cyrus. I don’t know what it is, but I remember when I was a kid, and my dad was at the height of his success, all people wanted to do was make fun of me for it.
"I was like, ‘Wait a minute. My dad is the biggest star on the planet and you want to make fun of me?’
"As I’m older now, I look back on that and that’s just so insane."
Billy Ray Cyrus changes name
