Williamson County resident Billy Ray Cyrus released his first album in 14 years, The Hill, on June 16 — but the road to making new music included an unexpected and frightening detour.
Cyrus revealed to People magazine that he was diagnosed with vocal paralysis in 2024 following a near-fatal bout of sepsis. After recovering from the illness, Cyrus faced a new challenge: regaining his voice.
He credited a moment with his grandson, Bear, with helping him find it again. “In this very broken moment of my life, my little grandson Bear looked at me and said, ‘Try again,'” Cyrus told People. “And up until that moment, he had never spoken to me at all. I wasn’t even sure if he knew my name. In that moment I thought, ‘He’s telling you something.’ Is it about love? Music? Somehow, I got to try again at both. So I’m learning to try again.”
Ahead of the album’s release, Cyrus also made an appearance at the American Idol Live in Concert event at 6th & Peabody ahead of CMA Fest, where he previewed a new song, “Tip Your Hat,” recorded with former American Idol contestant Chris Tungseth and Bucky Covington. The trio also performed Cyrus’s signature hit, “Achy Breaky Heart.”
The Hill is now available wherever music is streamed or sold.
Watch the video below.
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