Billy Ray Cyrus became country music royalty with the release of “Achy Breaky Heart” in 1990. The runaway hit turned Cyrus into a superstar, one whose career has seen multiple resurgences when he starred alongside his daughter Miley Cyrus in Hannah Montana in the mid-2000s and had another blockbuster hit on his hands when he joined Lil Nas X for the remix of “Old Town Road” in 2019.
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Along the way, Cyrus has proven himself to be a capable songwriter. In addition to writing many of his own album cuts, the country legend has penned several collaborative songs ranging from family members to fellow icons. Check out three collaborative songs you didn’t know Cyrus wrote.
1. “Old Town Road (Remix)” by Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus
Written by Lil Nas X, Billy Ray Cyrus, Jocelyn Donald, Diplo, Trent Reznor, Young Thug, YoungKio, Atticus Ross and Jozzy
It’s common knowledge that Billy Ray Cyrus is the featured singer on the remix of “Old Town Road,” which helped send it flying up the charts, but he also contributed to the lyrics. Lil Nas X, Atticus Ross, and YoungKio had already written the original version of the song, but when Cyrus hopped on board, it took it to new heights (Trent Reznor is a credited writer since the track samples Nine Inch Nails’ “34 Ghosts IV”).
Though Cyrus was hesitant at first to sing on the track, when he got into the writing room with Lil Nas X and Jozzy, it pushed his boundaries as a songwriter. “It was born right there in the studio. It was magical,” Cyrus wrote about the experience in 2019 for Time 100 Next. “I told Nas he was going to be a light in this world and he would shine brighter than anyone else. And he has.” “Old Town Road (Remix)” shattered chart records when it sat at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for 19 consecutive weeks.
2. “Hope is Just Ahead” by Billy Ray Cyrus ft. Dionne Warwick
Written by Billy Ray Cyrus, John Frederick Lenz, and Don Von Tress
Billy Ray Cyrus co-wrote and recorded “Hope is Just Ahead” in 1999 following the tragic shooting at Columbine High School that later ended up on his 2012 album, Change My Mind. The song got a second life when he turned it into a duet with Dionne Warwick in 2014 that was featured on her collaborative album, Feels So Good.
The poignant duet finds their voices shining alongside each other as they trade hopeful lyrics, Hope is just ahead / Sorrow’s just behind us / From what the good book says / The truth will never bind us. At the time of the duet’s release, a portion of the proceeds were benefiting Do The Write Thing – National Campaign to Stop Violence.
[RELATED: Who Wrote Billy Ray Cyrus’ “Achy Breaky Heart”?]
3. “Milkman’s Eyes” by Bobby Cyrus ft. Billy Ray Cyrus
Written by Billy Ray Cyrus and Jim McKnight
Billy Ray Cyrus kept it all in the family when he teamed up with his cousin, bluegrass musician Bobby Cyrus, on “Milkman’s Eyes.” The campy track centers around a child who bears a striking resemblance to the milkman, leading the listener to believe that the narrator’s wife conceived the child with the milkman. The song wound up on Bobby Cyrus’ 2013 album, Homeplace.
“We grew up in a musical family,” Bobby recalled of his and Billy Ray’s upbringing in Kentucky. “At family get-togethers, people sit around, play music, and sing.” Bobby and his wife Teddi have also formed a bluegrass group that Billy Ray has performed with over the years.
Photo by Ebet Roberts/Redferns
