Billy Ray Cyrus Changes His Mind, Not His Name
Billy Ray Cyrus recently sat down on Live With Kelly & Ryan to set the record straight on the matter of his impending name change, and the artist says that fans should rest easy: It's not going to happen. Readers can press play above to watch a clip of the interview.
Following an announcement in a Rolling Stone interview in April that he would be dropping "Billy Ray" from his moniker, Cyrus faced an unexpected fan backlash. When host Ryan Seacrest asked him about it, the artist cleared up any lingering confusion.
“That’s the name of the album — Cyrus,” he tells Seacrest. "And then, subtitle: Set the Record Straight," he says with a laugh.
The host clarifies, “So you’re not changing your name?”
“No. I was supposed to keep it under wraps until 8/25 -- that’s my birthday. It’s the 25-year anniversary [of "Achy Breaky Heart"],” Cyrus explains. “I have new music coming.”
He goes on to offer a plug for the upcoming album, including a tune called "You Good," based on a text conversation with his daughter Miley.
Cyrus put his name change plans on hold after realizing that it was a much bigger deal to his fans than it was to him.
“There’s now four versions, and I think over the next few months, I’m gonna take a poll,” he told Taste of Country in May. “So I can be Billy Ray or Billy Ray Cyrus, or ‘C’ Cyrus or ‘D' I don’t give a s–t.'”
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