Miley Ray Cyrus (born Destiny Hope Cyrus; November 23, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Born and raised in Franklin, Tennessee, a suburb of Nashville, she held minor roles in the television series Doc and the film Big Fish in her childhood. Cyrus became a teen idol for her portrayal of the starring character Miley Stewart in the Disney Channel television series Hannah Montana in 2006; her father Billy Ray Cyrus additionally starred in the show. Cyrus subsequently signed a recording contract with Hollywood Records; her debut studio album Meet Miley Cyrus (2007) was certified triple-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for exceeding three million shipments. Cyrus released her second album Breakout and launched her film career as a voice actress in the animated film Bolt in 2008.
Cyrus starred in the feature film Hannah Montana: The Movie, and began cultivating a maturing image with her EP The Time of Our Lives in 2009. In 2010, she released her third album Can't Be Tamed, which stands as the lowest-selling record of her career, and starred in the coming-of-age film The Last Song. Cyrus focused on her acting career with several television and film appearances in 2011 and 2012. Her sexually explicit behavior generated widespread controversy while promoting her fourth album Bangerz (2013), her first under her recording contract with RCA Records. Cyrus' independently-released fifth studio album Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz (2015) deviated from her traditional pop style for more psychedelic experimentation. In 2016, she was a coach for the eleventh season of the singing competition series The Voice.
With Bangerz, Cyrus achieved her third number-one album on the U.S. Billboard 200, and fifth overall including Hannah Montana soundtrack albums. She has logged seven top 10 entries on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 with "See You Again", "7 Things", "The Climb", "Party in the U.S.A.", "Can't Be Tamed", "We Can't Stop" and the chart-topping "Wrecking Ball". Cyrus has earned numerous awards and nominations, as Billboard ranked her as the fourth best-selling female artist of 2009.[1] Cyrus was ranked number thirteen on Forbes' Celebrity 100 in 2010,[2] and in 2013 was declared "Artist of the Year" by MTV.[3] She has been included on the Time 100 list of most influential people in 2008 and 2014.
1992–2003: Childhood and career beginnings
Destiny Hope Cyrus was born on November 23, 1992 in Franklin, Tennessee,[4] to Leticia Jean "Tish" Cyrus (née Finley) and singer Billy Ray Cyrus.[4] Cyrus was born with supraventricular tachycardia, in which her resting heart rate exceeded normal.[5][6] Her birth name, Destiny Hope, was derived from her parents' belief that she would accomplish great things, and she was given the nickname "Smiley", later shortened to "Miley", because she often smiled as an infant.[7] She officially changed her name to Miley Ray Cyrus in 2008; her middle name honors her paternal grandfather, Democratic politician Ronald Ray Cyrus, to whom she remained close until his death in 2006.[8]
Against the advice of her father's record company,[9] Cyrus's parents secretly married a year after her birth, on December 28, 1993.[10] They had two more children together, son Braison and daughter Noah.[11] Cyrus has elder siblings, Trace and Brandi,[12] and an elder paternal half-brother named Christopher,[10] who grew up with his mother, Kristin Luckey, in South Carolina.[9] Four of her siblings also eventually entered the entertainment business; Trace as a vocalist and guitarist for the electronic pop band Metro Station,[13]Noah as an actress, Braison as a fashion model, and Brandi as a journalist.[14][15][16] Cyrus's godmother is entertainer Dolly Parton.[17]
Cyrus grew up on a 500-acre (200 ha) farm in Franklin.[18] She attended Heritage Elementary School.[19] While working on Hannah Montana, Cyrus enrolled at Options for Youth Charter Schools[20] and studied with a private tutor on set.[21] She was raised Christian and was baptized in a Southern Baptist church prior to moving to Hollywood in 2005.[22]She attended church regularly while growing up and wore a purity ring.[23] In 2001, when Cyrus was eight, she and her family moved to Toronto, Canada while her father filmed the television series Doc.[24] After Billy Ray took her to see a 2001 Mirvish production of Mamma Mia! at the Royal Alexandra Theatre, Cyrus grabbed his arm and told him, "This is what I want to do, daddy. I want to be an actress."[25] She began taking singing and acting classes at the Armstrong Acting Studio in Toronto.[26]
In her first role, Cyrus played a girl named Kylie on Doc.[7] In 2003, Cyrus was credited under her birth name for her role as "Young Ruthie" in Tim Burton's Big Fish.[27] During this time, she also auditioned with Taylor Lautner for the feature film The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D and it came down to her and another actress, but Cyrus started doing Hannah Montana instead.[28] Tish Cyrus became Miley's manager, and worked to acquire her with a team to make her career flourish.[29] Cyrus signed with Mitchell Gossett, director of the youth division at Cunningham Escott Slevin Doherty.[30] Gossett is often credited as "discovering" Cyrus, and played a key role in her auditioning for Hannah Montana.[31] She later signed with Jason Morey of Morey Management Group for her music career, having been directed to him by Dolly Parton.[29] Billy Ray's finance manager was also hired for Miley as well.[29]
2003–2009: Breakthrough with Hannah Montana and early musical releases
Cyrus auditioned for the Disney Channel television series Hannah Montana when she was only eleven years old.[32] She auditioned for the role of the title character's best friend, but was instead called to audition for the lead role.[32] Despite initially being denied the part due to being too "young and small" for the role,[33] she was later selected as the lead due to her singing and acting abilities.[34] The series premiered in March 2006 to the largest audience for a Disney Channel program,[35] and quickly ranked among the highest-rated series on basic cable.[36] The instant success of the series led to Cyrus being labeled a "teen idol".[27][37] Cyrus toured with The Cheetah Girls as Hannah Montana in September 2006, performing songs from the first season of the show.[38] Walt Disney Records released a soundtrack credited to Cyrus' character in October of that year.[39] The record was a commercial success, topping the Billboard 200 chart in the United States; it went on to sell over three million copies worldwide.[40] With the release of the soundtrack, Cyrus became the first act within The Walt Disney Company to have deals in television, film, consumer products, and music.[37] Cyrus had a two-year relationship with actor Tyler Posey.[41][42] Cyrus has stated that she dated singer and actor Nick Jonas from June 2006 to December 2007.[43] Cyrus claimed they were "in love" and began dating soon after they first met.[44] Her relationship with Jonas, as well as her friendships with fellow Disney alums Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato, gained considerable media attention.[45]
Cyrus signed a four-album recording contract with Hollywood Records to distribute her music outside of the Hannah Montana soundtracks.[46]Cyrus released the two-disc album Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus (2007) in June 2007.[47] The first disc was credited as the second soundtrack by Hannah Montana, while the second disc served as Cyrus' debut studio album.[47] The album became her second to reach the top of the Billboard 200, going on to sell over three million copies since its release.[48] Months after the release of the project, "See You Again" (2007) was serviced as the lead single from the album.[49] The song was a commercial success, selling over two million copies in the United States since its release.[50] She later collaborated with her father on the single "Ready, Set, Don't Go" (2007).[51] Cyrus embarked on her Best of Both Worlds Tour (2007–08) to promote the release, which went on to be a highly successful venture.[52][53] Ticketmaster officials commented that "there [hadn't] been a demand of this level or intensity since The Beatles or Elvis."[54] The success of the tour led to the theatrical release of the 3D concert film Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert (2008).[55] Despite initially intended to be a limited release, the film's success led to a longer run.[56]
Cyrus and friend Mandy Jiroux began posting videos onto popular website YouTube in February 2008, referring to the clips as "The Miley and Mandy Show"; the videos garnered a large following online.[57] In April 2008, several images of Cyrus in her underwear and swimsuit were leaked by a teenage hacker who accessed her Gmail account.[58][59] Further controversy rose when it was reported that Cyrus, then fifteen, had posed topless during a photo shoot with Annie Leibovitz for Vanity Fair.[60] The New York Times later clarified that though the pictures left an impression that she was bare-breasted, Cyrus was wrapped in a bedsheet and was actually not topless.[61] Cyrus went on to release her second studio album, Breakout (2008), in June of that year.[62] The album boasted the highest first week sales of Cyrus' career thus far, and became her third to top the Billboard 200.[63][64]Cyrus later starred alongside John Travolta in the animated film Bolt (2008), serving as her theatrical debut as an actress.[65] The film was a critical and commercial success, and earned Cyrus a Golden Globe nomination.[66]
In March 2009, Cyrus released "The Climb" (2009) as a single from the soundtrack to the upcoming Hannah Montana feature film.[67] The single was met with a warm critical and commercial reaction, becoming a crossover hit in both pop and country music formats.[68] The soundtrack, which featured the single, went on to become Cyrus' fourth entry to top the Billboard 200; this made Cyrus, then sixteen, the youngest act in history to have four number one albums on the chart.[69] She released her fourth soundtrack as Hannah Montana in July 2009, which debuted at number two on the Billboard 200.[70] Cyrus later launched her first fashion line, Miley Cyrus and Max Azria, through Walmart.[71] It was promoted by the release of "Party in the U.S.A." (2009) and the extended play The Time of Our Lives (2009).[72][73] Cyrus said the album was "a transitioning album [...] really to introduce people to what I want my next record to sound like and with time I will be able to do that a little more."[73] "Party in the U.S.A." went on to become one of Cyrus' most successful singles to date, and is considered to be one of her signature songs.[74] Cyrus next embarked on her first world tour, the Wonder World Tour (2009), which went on to become a critical and commercial success.[75] On December 7, 2009, Cyrus performed for Queen Elizabeth II and numerous other members of the British Royal Family at the Royal Variety Performance in Blackpool, Lancashire.[76]
2010–2012: Can't Be Tamed and focus on acting
Hoping to transition into a more mature image, Cyrus starred in the film The Last Song (2010), based on the Nicholas Sparks novel.[77] The film was released to a generally negative critical reaction,[78] though was a box office hit.[79][80] While filming, she began a romantic relationship with her co-star, Liam Hemsworth.[81] Cyrus further attempted to change her image with the release of her third studio album, Can't Be Tamed (2010).[82] The album featured a more dance-oriented sound than her prior releases, and drew a considerable amount of controversy due to the album's lyrical content and Cyrus' live performances.[83][84][85][86] The album sold 106,000 copies in its first week of release, and became her first studio album not to top the Billboard 200 chart in the United States.[87] Due to the controversy surrounding the release, the album's second and final single was released solely in select European territories.[88][89] Cyrus released her final soundtrack as Hannah Montana that October, which was a commercial failure.[90] Cyrus' decline in sales for the releases was attributed to her controversial image.[87]
Cyrus was the center of more controversy when a video posted online in December 2010 shows a then eighteen Cyrus smoking salvia with a bong.[91][92][93] She embarked on her worldwide Gypsy Heart Tour (2011) in April, which notably featured no North American dates.[94] Cyrus cited her various controversial moments as reasoning behind this, claiming she only wanted to travel to where she felt "the most love".[95][96] Following the release of Can't Be Tamed, Cyrus officially parted ways with longtime record label Hollywood Records.[97] With Hannah Montana now officially over, Cyrus announced that she planned to take a hiatus from music to focus on her film career.[98] She commented, "I've not taken, like, acting lessons or anything, but it doesn't mean I don't need to because I'm sure I do ... I'm probably going to go book an acting coach."[99] She later confirmed she would not be going to college for the time being, stating that "[she is] a firm believer that you can go back at any age you want" and "[had] worked hard to get to where [she is] now, and [wants] to enjoy it while it lasts."[100][101]
Cyrus hosted the March 5, 2011 episode of Saturday Night Live, during which she performed in many skits and poked fun at her recent controversies.[102][103] She later made an appearance on the MTV series Punk'd, appearing alongside Kelly Osbourne and Khloé Kardashian.[104][105] Cyrus starred in the independent film LOL (2012) alongside Demi Moore.[106] The film received a limited release, and was critically and commercially unsuccessful.[107][108][109] Cyrus later starred in the comedy film So Undercover, appearing as an FBI agent who is required to go undercover at a college sorority.[110] It was also reported on August 2, 2011, by Contact Music that Cyrus has signed on to star in a comedy in which she plays a woman who broke a promise to God.[111] It was later announced that Cyrus would star in the film Family Bond, portraying a girl who meets her spy father in an attempt to save her kidnapped mother.[112]
Cyrus released a string of live performances known as The Backyard Sessions through YouTube during the spring and summer of 2012; the performances were of classic songs that Cyrus personally liked.[113] Having begun working on a failed fourth album the year prior, Cyrus resumed working on a new musical project in late 2012.[114] Cyrus collaborated with producers Rock Mafia on their song "Morning Sun" (2012), which was made available for free download online.[115] She had previously appeared in the music video for their debut single, "The Big Bang" (2010).[116] Cyrus later provided guest vocals on "Decisions" (2012) by Borgore.[117] Both Cyrus and Hemsworth appeared in the music video for the track.[118] She went on to appear as Missi in two episodes of the CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men.[119] She was also confirmed as a primary voice actress in the feature film Hotel Transylvania, but dropped out of the project to coordinate a musical comeback.[120] On May 31, it was announced that Cyrus and Hemsworth were engaged following a nearly three year on-again, off-again relationship.[121] Cyrus generated considerable media attention after cutting her traditionally long, brown hair in favor of a blonde, pixie-style haircut; she commented that she had "never felt more [herself] in [her] whole life" and that "it really changed [her] life".[122][123]
2013–2014: New image and Bangerz
In 2013, Cyrus hired Larry Rudolph to be her manager; Rudolph is most notable for representing clients such as Britney Spears.[124] Shortly afterwards, it was confirmed that Cyrus had signed a new recording contract with RCA Records to distribute her future releases.[125] Cyrus worked with producers such as Pharrell Williams and Mike Will Made-It on her fourth studio album, resulting in a hip-hop influenced sound.[126] She collaborated with numerous artists on releases in the genre.[126] Cyrus appeared on the Snoop Lion song "Ashtrays and Heartbreaks" (2013), released as the lead single from his twelfth studio album in April 2013.[127] She worked with will.i.am on the song "Fall Down" (2013), released as a promotional single that same month.[128] The song entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number fifty eight, marking her first appearance on the chart since "Can't Be Tamed" (2010).[129] She also provided guest vocals on the Lil Twist song "Twerk", which also featured vocals from Justin Bieber.[130] The song went unreleased for unknown reasons, though leaked online.[130] On May 23, 2013, it was confirmed that Cyrus would be featured on the Mike Will Made It single "23", alongside artists Wiz Khalifa and Juicy J.[131] The single went on to peak at number eleven on the Hot 100, and has sold over one million copies worldwide since its release.[132]
Cyrus released her new single "We Can't Stop" on June 3.[133] Touted as her comeback single, "We Can't Stop" went on to become a commercial success worldwide, topping the charts in territories such as the United Kingdom.[134][135] The song's music video set the VEVO record for most views within twenty four hours of release, and became the fast video to reach 100 million views on the site.[136] Cyrus performed alongside Robin Thicke at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards, and the performance was met with widespread media attention and public scrutiny.[137][138][139][140]On September 16, 2013, a representative for Cyrus announced after months of media speculation that Cyrus and Hemsworth had decided to call off their engagement; ending their four-year relationship.[141] On October 2, MTV aired the documentary Miley: The Movement, which chronicled the recording of her fourth studio album.[142][143] Miley's fourth studio album, Bangerz (2013), was released on October 4.[144] The album became a commercial success, debuting at number one on the Billboard 200 with first week sales of 270,000 copies.[145] On October 5, Cyrus hosted Saturday Night Live for the second time; she received mostly positive reviews from critics, who generally stated the episode was "good but not great".[146]
Cyrus released "Wrecking Ball" (2013) as the second single from Bangerz.[147] The song became an instant hit, and its accompanying music video was viewed over nineteen million times within its first day of release.[147] The single became Cyrus' first single to top the Hot 100 chart in the United States, and sold over two million copies in the country.[148] On November 5, rapper Future's "Real and True" was released as a single, which featured Cyrus and Mr. Hudson; an accompanying music video premiered five days later on November 10, 2013.[149] On January 29, 2014, she played an acoustic concert show on MTV Unplugged, performing songs from Bangerz and featuring a guest appearance from Madonna.[150]It became the highest rated MTV Unplugged in the past decade with over 1.7 million streams.[151] Cyrus was also featured in the Marc Jacobs Spring 2014 ad campaign along with Natalie Westling and Esmerelda Seay Reynolds.[152] She launched her controversial Bangerz Tour (2014) that year, which received a generally positive reception.[153][154]While on the tour, Cyrus suffered an allergic reaction to the antibiotic Cephalexin, prescribed to her to treat a sinus infection.[155] Due to the allergy, Cyrus was hospitalized at a Kansas City hospital; though some dates had to be rescheduled, the tour resumed days later.[156]
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