{"id":15809,"date":"2016-09-30T14:19:40","date_gmt":"2016-09-30T21:19:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/?p=15809"},"modified":"2016-10-01T20:56:11","modified_gmt":"2016-10-02T03:56:11","slug":"billy-ray-cyrus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/2016\/09\/billy-ray-cyrus\/","title":{"rendered":"BILLY RAY CYRUS"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>VIDEO FEATURE &amp; WEB-EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h1>Musician:<strong> \u00a0BILLY RAY CYRUS<\/strong><\/h1>\n<h3>Video: \u201c<strong>Thin Line<\/strong>\u201d featuring Shelby Lynne<\/h3>\n<h3>Songwriter: Billy Ray Cyrus<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/80jWX1J3MLo\" width=\"660\" height=\"371\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>Billy Ray Cyrus<\/strong>\u00a0is a singer-songwriter, actor and philanthropist\u2014helping many charities, including veterans and military families. We talked with Cyrus about his new album two days after his performance of the 1992 hit \u201cSome Gave All\u201d at the Tennessee Titans\u2019 opener on Sunday, 9\/11\/16. Before the interview, we casually asked him about that performance. And the interview quickly changed direction. He said \u201cperforming that song was beyond surreal. It was so powerful. The past filled with the present. There were so many family members and widows\u2014firefighters, police and others who have sacrificed so much. It was a very powerful moment.\u201d It touched him emotionally. He went on to tell us about filming <em>Doc<\/em>, the PAX television series in September 2001: \u201c15 years ago, on that morning, I stood in Toronto, Canada. It was day one of season two, opening scene of the first episode titled \u2018Some Gave All.\u2019 In the opening scene, I was standing next to a Vietnam Veteran, who lived in a concrete box. And the first time he said \u2018concrete box\u2019\u2014that\u2019s when the first plane hit. And the next time he said \u2018concrete box\u2019\u2014the second plane hit. All in a matter of 11 minutes\u2014the whole world changed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey later did a two-hour special <em>Some Gave All<\/em> and interviewed real veterans and real firefighters. First time I came back to America after shooting the show in Toronto, I was flying into New York City\u2014to be on a Thanksgiving Day float. I had boots and helmets, and sang \u2018Some Gave All.\u2019 And now, 15 years later, I\u2019m standing in the Titans stadium with just my guitar, paying tribute to America. It\u2019s for our troops and the men and women who are in uniform\u2014honoring their sacrifice. This wasn\u2019t about getting knocked down. It is about getting back up.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh, hold on. It gets even stranger. I was on Broadway when Hurricane Sandy hit. I was finally playing the lead in <em>Chicago<\/em>, and that hurricane paralyzed the city. But guess what? The city got back up! I have seen this city get back up twice! I\u2019m not saying this because I\u2019m a New Yorker. I\u2019m saying it because I witnessed it.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_15815\" style=\"width: 670px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15815\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-15815\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Billy-Ray-Cyrus-1-photo-credit-Melanie-Swerdan.jpg\" alt=\"Photo credit: Melanie Swerdan\" width=\"660\" height=\"441\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Billy-Ray-Cyrus-1-photo-credit-Melanie-Swerdan.jpg 660w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Billy-Ray-Cyrus-1-photo-credit-Melanie-Swerdan-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-15815\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo credit: Melanie Swerdan<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\u201cThis is way more important than the interview we were scheduled to talk about, and you can quote me on that. In fact, I would really appreciate it if you could place this at the front of the feature. I feel that strongly about it. Don\u2019t worry. I\u2019ll answer your other questions. We\u2019ll extend our interview time and make sure I answer all your questions. But this is the first time I\u2019ve had a chance to talk about this, and I want people to know about how we are as Americans\u2014we are strong, and we work together to get back up.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Earlier this month, Cyrus released his 14<sup>th<\/sup> album,\u00a0<em>Thin Line<\/em>, on Blue Cadillac Music label. \u201cThis project was going to be a tribute album to my favorite songwriters and artists,\u201d said Cyrus, hence the amount of classic Highwaymen ballads. \u201cBut it transformed into more than that.\u201d The Highwaymen was a country music super-group from 1985-1995 featuring the genre\u2019s biggest artists known for pioneering outlaw country subgenre: Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson. That\u2019s one of the reasons it was so special for Cyrus to have Shooter Jennings appear on the album as a producer and performer on tracks \u201cKilling the Blues\u201d and his father\u2019s \u201cI\u2019ve Always Been Crazy\u201d\u2014 a moment which came full circle for Cyrus since Waylon Jennings once told him he should sing the tune.<\/p>\n<p>The new album <em>Thin Line<\/em> is packed with 15 tracks featuring collaborations with Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry on the Don Williams\u2019 classic \u201cTulsa Time.\u201d He teamed with his son Braison Cyrus to honor one of his heroes\u2014the late Merle Haggard with \u201cGoing Where the Lonely Go.\u201d The title track is even more powerful with complementing harmonies by Shelby Lynne. Cyrus says, \u201cThis song describes how I live my life\u2014it\u2019s a balance between art and reality. And Shelby Lynne\u2019s velvet voice is icing on the cake.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The song \u201cThin Line\u201d came to Cyrus three years ago, after a meeting in New York City with CMT when they said they were picking up his new show, <em>Still the King<\/em>. One of the executives in the room asked him to describe the show in one sentence, and he instinctively said, \u201cWell, it\u2019s like a thin line between Elvis and Jesus.\u201d Cyrus always keeps a guitar with him, and he wrote the song that night in his hotel room.<\/p>\n<p>As a writer and executive producer of the series, Cyrus also stars as \u201cBurnin\u2019\u201d Vernon Brown, a one-hit wonder turned Elvis-impersonator struggling to get back on his feet. After a run-in with the law, Brown is sentenced to community service and ends up masquerading as the community\u2019s new\u00a0preacher, and re-connecting with his old flame, and a daughter he didn\u2019t know about.\u00a0Cyrus\u2019 co-stars include Joey Lauren Adams,\u00a0comedian\/actor Kevin Farley (the late Chris Farley\u2019s brother) and Madison\u00a0Iseman\u2014along with cameos by Randy Travis, Darius Rucker, Wayne Newton, Erik Estrada, John Corbett, and more.<\/p>\n<p>We talked with Billy Ray Cyrus about his love for songwriting, and the creative driving force behind his music.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>BILLY RAY CYRUS Web-Exclusive Interview<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h2><strong>with\u00a0<em>M Music &amp; Musicians<\/em>\u00a0magazine publisher, Merlin David<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h2><\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_15814\" style=\"width: 340px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15814\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-15814\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Billy-Ray-Cyrus-5-with-Willie-Nelson.jpg\" alt=\"Billy Ray Cyrus with Willie Nelson\" width=\"330\" height=\"248\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Billy-Ray-Cyrus-5-with-Willie-Nelson.jpg 330w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Billy-Ray-Cyrus-5-with-Willie-Nelson-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 330px) 100vw, 330px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-15814\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Billy Ray Cyrus with Willie Nelson<\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>How did the idea of the song \u201cThin Line\u201d come to you?<\/strong><br \/>\nI was asked to describe my television show, <em>Still the King<\/em>, and thought, \u201cWell, it\u2019s a thin line between Elvis and Jesus.\u201d Bam! That was the kick-start behind the idea. The usage of \u201cthin line\u201d shows that the parallel between ideas is not as far as typically perceived\u2014and personally describes how I live my life. It\u2019s a balance between art and reality. Plus, Shelby Lynne\u2019s velvet voice is icing on the cake.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What is the inspiration of this new album, <em>Thin Line<\/em>\u2014and how did it evolve?<\/strong><br \/>\nThe album was originally supposed to be a tribute album, a tip of the hat to my heroes\u2014hence the amount of Highwaymen covers. But I just kept getting inspiration, and I\u2019m a songwriter through and through. I can\u2019t help it.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What is your creative process for writing songs?<\/strong><br \/>\nI don\u2019t push it. I allow for creativity to take a natural pace. When inspiration is sparked, that\u2019s when I dip into my bag of tricks.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How do you keep song ideas fresh\u2014and continue to think of new ideas?<\/strong><br \/>\nI turn to personal experience and the day-to-day relationships in my life, and hopefully I am able to connect with others. I try to stay relative but remain true to myself and my beliefs.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tell us one experience where something unique inspired you to write a song.<\/strong><br \/>\nIn relation to this album, about two years ago, I was invited by Dave Stewart to sing \u201cHey Jude\u201d at the Hollywood Bowl\u2019s three-day 50<sup>th<\/sup> anniversary concert for the Beatles. That third day was special because it was my birthday, and my gift to myself was the idea for \u201cOur Song.\u201d It just came to me and made sense. \u201cHey Jude\u201d in a way is \u2018our song\u2019 (<em>the<\/em> song of popular culture), and I began thinking of couples who have a special song, and the lyric wrote itself.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What songwriting tip would you like to offer?<\/strong><br \/>\nTo always be honest. Honesty is my main ingredient.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_15813\" style=\"width: 670px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15813\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-15813\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Billy-Ray-Cyrus-2-photo-credit-Melanie-Swerdan.jpg\" alt=\"Photo credit: Melanie Swerdan\" width=\"660\" height=\"646\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Billy-Ray-Cyrus-2-photo-credit-Melanie-Swerdan.jpg 660w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Billy-Ray-Cyrus-2-photo-credit-Melanie-Swerdan-300x293.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-15813\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo credit: Melanie Swerdan<\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>Who influenced you to pick up the guitar, and how old were you?<br \/>\n<\/strong>My dad, Ron Cyrus. He was in a quartet called The Crownsmen<em>, <\/em>and he also played guitar. I became frustrated as a kid when I couldn\u2019t comfortably play his guitar and it was then I realized I needed a left-handed instrument.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Who inspired you to write songs?<\/strong><br \/>\nMy family. My dad specifically, but my parents were divorced by the time I was five. I definitely needed music to cope with that.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Top 5 Musicians or Songwriters\u00a0who inspired you to become a musician?<\/strong><br \/>\nThe Highwaymen, Merle Haggard, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Elvis Presley, and Ron Cyrus.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Highwaymen and your Dad seem to be a strong influence with your life in music.<\/strong><br \/>\nI just set the album of the Highwaymen beside my dad\u2019s Crownsmen album. There is really a thin line between the two bands\u2014great songs and great music that also entertained people.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Where were you the first time you heard one of your songs on the radio\u2014how did it feel?<\/strong><br \/>\nOh, probably my Chevy Beretta. I lived out of my car in the early nineties, and I was just ecstatic to have been given the opportunity that I\u2019d been working on for the past decade.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_15812\" style=\"width: 670px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15812\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-15812\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Billy-Ray-Cyrus-3-photo-credit-Melanie-Swerdan.jpg\" alt=\"Photo Credit: Melanie Swerdan\" width=\"660\" height=\"590\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Billy-Ray-Cyrus-3-photo-credit-Melanie-Swerdan.jpg 660w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Billy-Ray-Cyrus-3-photo-credit-Melanie-Swerdan-300x268.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-15812\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo Credit: Melanie Swerdan<\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>Tell us about a time when you shared the stage with a music hero.<\/strong><em><br \/>\n<\/em>Willie Nelson, at Farm Aid in 1995. We sang a song I wrote in support of him in the early nineties that will actually be released on <em>Thin Line<\/em> called \u201cStop Picking on Willie.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>What is your best memory of creating your 9x multi-platinum 1992 debut album <em>Some Gave All<\/em>\u2014that sold 20 million copies worldwide and scored eight top ten singles on the Billboard Country Songs chart?<\/strong><br \/>\nI was finally able to do what I was cut out to do. It happened so quickly once it did, and I am so thankful that I was able to write and sing my own words\u2014and words of some dear friends who I am so grateful for. But that Single of the Year award from the CMA in 1992 was definitely a statement and something to be proud of.<\/p>\n<p><strong>It took a while to get your music recorded.<\/strong><br \/>\nAll these years later the song \u201cSome Gave All\u201d is still so important to me. It was at 30 years old, after 10 years of being told \u201cNo\u201d\u2014that\u2019s why I relate to the underdog. That aspect of getting back up means a lot to me. After 10 years of failure\u2014trying to get a record deal, I had one more try. It was that inner voice speaking. I was given an appointment with Harold Shedd at Mercury Records, and I played \u201cSome Gave All.\u201d It was my last shot. I said to myself, it\u2019s either this, or I\u2019m going to work for the railroad, coal mine or steel mill. And finally, after 10 years, a man stood up and said, \u201cYes,\u201d and it was \u201cSome Gave All\u201d that opened the door. I met Sandy Kane, that Vietnam Vet, in 1989\u2014who inspired me. It was an amazing three days of writing. I wrote \u201cWher\u2019m I Gonna Live?\u201d on Tuesday, \u201cShe\u2019s Not Cryin\u2019 Anymore\u201d on Wednesday, and \u201cSome Gave All\u201d on Sunday. All three songs had a very important part in my life.<\/p>\n<p><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-15811\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Billy-Ray-Cyrus-6.jpg\" alt=\"billy-ray-cyrus-6\" width=\"660\" height=\"371\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Billy-Ray-Cyrus-6.jpg 660w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Billy-Ray-Cyrus-6-300x168.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Did \u201cSome Gave All\u201d come easily or did it take a long time to write?<\/strong><br \/>\nI have a little recorder, and I kept it on, and the words just flowed. I was in our house in Ironton, OH (in southern Ohio), and I was sitting there\u2014stunned. I walked straight in my door, and played it. The whole verse and whole chorus came to me in one moment. The song \u201cThin Line\u201d came the identical way. Ironically, I was in New York City three years ago when CMT said they were picking up <em>Still the King<\/em>. One of the executives in the room asked me to describe the show in one sentence, and I instinctively said, \u2018Well, it\u2019s like a thin line between Elvis and Jesus.\u2019 I always keep a guitar with me. This time it was a guitar I had rented while I was there for meetings. I wrote the song that night in my hotel room. The same night, I was meeting John Varvatos\u2014was running late. I was wearing his clothes for years. He\u2019s a creative hero\u2014a musician and an actor. The expression of his art is in his clothes. He showed me pictures of Willie Nelson and Lukas Nelson\u2014from a clothing photo shoot. The words \u201cWillie and the Lord\u201d came to me. People think I say <em>law<\/em>. (<em>Laughs<\/em>). I wish I would have written \u201cWillie and the law.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>What instrument<\/strong><strong>s\/equipment can you not live without\u2014that help you write, record or perform?<\/strong><br \/>\nTwo guitars. My Taylor guitar, on which I wrote \u201cThin Line.\u201d It was hard to find a left-handed guitar, and I rented it from the Guitar Center in NYC. After writing that song on it, I had to buy it. And I named her Taylor. My Takamine, I\u2019ve had forever\u2014her name is Marilyn. I used to write notes of lyrics and keep it in a shoe box, but now I use my Blackberry. It is my new shoe box. And I have a little recorder.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Are there words of wisdom you\u2019d like to share with this new generation of musicians?<\/strong><br \/>\nDon\u2019t listen to negative attitudes. It\u2019s easier said than done, but ignore those who act as an obstacle. Surround yourself with those who support you and stick to the path where your intuition leads.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What\u2019s next?<\/strong><br \/>\nA second season of <em>Still the King<\/em> will premiere in 2017. It is so much fun. I get to be a producer, singer, songwriter\u2014real fun show that CMT has allowed me to make. We\u2019re writing the second season as we speak. We have a great production team. And I\u2019d also really like to tour for this <em>Thin Line<\/em> album.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Where can your new fans get more info and stay updated?<\/strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.BillyRayCyrus.com\">BillyRayCyrus.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/BillyRayCyrus\" target=\"_blank\">Facebook.com\/BillyRayCyrus<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/billyraycyrus\" target=\"_blank\">Twitter \u2013 @billyraycyrus<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/billyraycyrus\/\" target=\"_blank\">Instagram \u2013 @billyraycyrus<\/a><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-15810\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Billy-Ray-Cyrus-4-album-cover.jpg\" alt=\"billy-ray-cyrus-4-album-cover\" width=\"660\" height=\"660\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Billy-Ray-Cyrus-4-album-cover.jpg 660w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Billy-Ray-Cyrus-4-album-cover-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Billy-Ray-Cyrus-4-album-cover-300x300.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><strong><em>THIN LINE<\/em><\/strong> \u2013 Track List, with Billy Ray Cyrus\u2019 thoughts about each song.<\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>1. Thin Line<\/strong> (Billy Ray Cyrus)\u2014featuring Shelby Lynne: \u201cThis song describes how I live my life; it\u2019s a balance between art and reality. And Shelby Lynne\u2019s velvet voice is icing on the cake.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>2. Loving Her Was Easier<\/strong> (Kris Kristofferson)\u2014originally recorded by Kristofferson on <em>The Silver Tongued Devil and I <\/em>(1971): \u201cThese lyrics are so intricate to me and it\u2019s always been a difficult song to memorize, but it is near and dear to my heart. The original intent of this album was to salute my songwriting heroes and Kristofferson is certainly one of them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>3. They\u2019re Playin\u2019 Our Song<\/strong> (Billy Ray Cyrus): \u201cAbout two years ago, I was invited by Dave Stewart to sing \u2018Hey Jude\u2019 at the Hollywood Bowl\u2019s three-day 50<sup>th<\/sup> anniversary concert for the Beatles. That third day was special because it was my birthday and my gift to myself was the idea for this song. It just came to me and made sense. \u2018Hey Jude\u2019 in a way is \u2018our song\u2019 [<em>the<\/em> song of popular culture] and I began thinking of couples who have a special song and the lyric wrote itself.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>4. My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys<\/strong> (Mary Sharon Vaughn)\u2014originally recorded by Willie Nelson on <em>The Electric Horseman<\/em> (1979): \u201cThe concept to record this song stems from my love for Willie Nelson\u2014and who doesn\u2019t want a cowboy as their hero?\u201d<strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>5. Stop Picking on Willie<\/strong> (Billy Ray Cyrus): \u201cI wrote this in 1989 when I was gigging around West Virginia and Ohio. I never recorded it previously, although it had a tremendous following and I\u2019ll never forget Willie singing it with me at Farm Aid in 1995.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>6. Sunday Morning Coming Down<\/strong> (Kris Kristofferson)\u2014featuring Shelby Lynne\u2014originally recorded by Ray Stevens on <em>Have a Little Talk with Myself<\/em> (1969): \u201cI love this song and actually think of Johnny Cash and his performance on <em>The Johnny Cash Show<\/em> before the other versions. I always felt a special presence with Johnny and he inspires me still\u2014when I read the words he wrote to me in a letter of encouragement from 1992.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>7. Tulsa Time<\/strong> (Danny Flowers)\u2014featuring Joe Perry\u2014originally recorded by Don Williams on <em>Expressions<\/em> (1978): \u201cThe irony behind this cover is that it\u2019s Vernon\u2019s [main character in <em>Still The King<\/em> television series in which Cyrus stars] most successful hit.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>8. Hillbilly On<\/strong> (Billy Ray Cyrus): <em>\u201cThis song is a living, breathing party.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>9. Killing The Blues<\/strong> (Rowland Jon Salley)\u2014featuring Shooter Jennings\u2014originally recorded by John Prine on <em>Pink Cadillac<\/em> (1979): \u201cIt was when recording this song that <em>Rolling Stone<\/em> quoted Shooter Jennings calling me the so-called, \u2018Freddie Mercury of country\u2019 and our harmonies created this special darkness.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>10. I\u2019ve Always Been Crazy<\/strong> (Waylon Jennings)\u2014featuring Shooter Jennings &amp; Lee Roy Parnell\u2014originally recorded by Waylon Jennings on <em>I\u2019ve Always Been Crazy<\/em> (1978): \u201cWaylon always said to me, \u2018Cyrus, I can hear you singing, \u201cI\u2019ve Always Been Crazy.\u201d Do you know the definition of an outlaw?\u2019 Here I am now with it recorded and tracked alongside his son. And with Lee Roy Parnell\u2014magic.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>11. Hey Elvis <\/strong>(Bryan Adams and Gretchen Peters)\u2014originally recorded by Bryan Adams on <em>MTV Unplugged<\/em> (1997): This up-tempo track, previously recorded by Cyrus, features Bryan Adams and Deep Purple\u2019s Glenn Hughes with lyrical references to the lack of quality material since the passing of The King. \u201cTCB\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>12. Help Me Make It Through the Night<\/strong> (Kris Kristofferson)\u2014featuring Kenley Shea Holm\u2014originally recorded by Kristofferson on <em>Kristofferson<\/em> (1970): \u201cThis version of the song was made by the vocals of Kenley and her Marilyn Monroe-esque country sound.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>13. Hope (Let It Find You)<\/strong> (Andrew Rollins, Billy Ray Cyrus, Jason Charles Miller): \u201cWe wrote this during the time my friend Caitlin [Jenner] was transitioning and she was quoted saying, \u2018I hope my experience can represent hope.\u2019 And when Glenn Hughes heard the song, he immediately said, \u2018If the world ever needed hope, it\u2019s now,\u2019 and added his edge to the track.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>14. Going Where the Lonely Go<\/strong> (Merle R. Haggard, Dean Roe Holloway)\u2014featuring Braison Cyrus\u2014originally recorded by Haggard on <em>Going Where the Lonely Go<\/em> (1982): \u201cMerle Haggard. What more can I say? Merle sang on this track before his illness took over. To complete the record, my son Braison helped me pay tribute.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>15. Angels Protect This Home<\/strong> (Billy Ray Cyrus)\u2014featuring Miley Cyrus: \u201cThis song was written as a chanted prayer. Miley began to sing about taking care of our planet, the animals and the air we breathe. I added some oohs and aahs and spoken prayer. It addresses our hope for our Mother.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>VIDEO FEATURE &amp; WEB-EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW &nbsp; Musician: \u00a0BILLY RAY CYRUS Video: \u201cThin Line\u201d featuring Shelby Lynne Songwriter: Billy Ray Cyrus Billy Ray Cyrus\u00a0is a singer-songwriter, actor and philanthropist\u2014helping many charities, including veterans and military families. We talked with Cyrus about his new album two days after his performance of the 1992 hit \u201cSome Gave All\u201d [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15817,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[7725],"tags":[8254,5097,8265,8241,8214,8252,8251,8221,8226,8026,2344,8267,8239,7423,8231,8242,7956,8233,2082,8269,2530,8218,8225,6905,8235,8253,8240,5267,5727,5197,8249,8243,8236,8220,8155,8266,8227,6763,8229,6191,8259,8247,1879,8263,8230,3869,8260,8248,665,10161,8232,8264,8255,6566,2266,8268,3010,7063,7978,8270,8261,4947,8223,8219,3942,8256,8237,8258,8244,1031,8224,8216,8246,8250,3720,8262,8217,3818,8238,8222,8257,8215,8157,8228,8245,1550,8234,2005],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15809"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15809"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15809\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15818,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15809\/revisions\/15818"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15817"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15809"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15809"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15809"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}