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19 (nineteen) is the natural number following 18 and preceding 20. It is a prime number.

In English speech, the numbers 19 and 90 are often confused, as sounding very similar. When carefully enunciated, they differ in which syllable is stressed: 19 /naɪnˈtiːn/ vs 90 /ˈnaɪnti/. However, in dates such as 1999, and when contrasting numbers in the teens and when counting, such as 17, 18, 19, the stress shifts to the first syllable: 19 /ˈnaɪntiːn/.

Mathematics[link]

19 is a centered triangular number

19 is the 8th smallest prime number. The sequence continues 23, 29, 31, 37...

19 is the seventh Mersenne prime exponent.

19 is the aliquot sum of two odd discrete semiprimes, 65 and 77 and is the base of the 19-aliquot tree.

19 is a centered triangular number, centered hexagonal number and a Heegner number.

You can make the number 19 by adding or subtracting but not multiplying (whole numbers), 19 can also be made by division.

The only non-trivial normal magic hexagon contains 19 hexagons (the other being 1).

19 is the first number with more than one digit that can be written from base 2 to base 19 using only the digits 0 to 9; the other number is 20.^[1]

Technology[link]

• 19 is The TCP/IP port used for chargen.

Science[link]

• The atomic number of potassium

Religion[link]

Islam[link]

• The number of angels guarding Hell ("Hellfire") according to the Qur'an: "Over it is nineteen" (74:30).
• The Number of Verse and Sura together in the Qur'an which announces Jesus son of Maryam's (Mary's) birth (Qur'an 19:19).
• Some people have claimed that patterns of the number 19 are present an unusual number of times in the Qur'an.[1][2]

Baha'i faith[link]

In the Bábí and Bahá'í faiths, a group of 19 is called a Váhid, a Unity (Arabic: واحد wāhid, "one"). The numerical value of this word in the Abjad numeral system is 19.

• The Bahá'í calendar is structured such that a year contains 19 months of 19 days each (along with the intercalary period of Ayyám-i-Há), as well as a 19-year cycle and a 361-year (19x19) supercycle.
• The Báb and his disciples formed a group of 19.
• There were 19 Apostles of Bahá'u'lláh.

Music[link]

• 19 is the debut album from English soul and jazz singer Adele.
• 19 is the fourth studio album from Russian pop singer Alsou.
• 19 is Evan Yo's first album, because Yo was nineteen years old when the album was released.
• "19" is a 1985 song by Paul Hardcastle, including sampled soundbites taken from a documentary about the Vietnam War in which 19 is claimed to have been the average age of United States soldiers killed in the conflict (an assertion which is widely disputed).^[2] The song was parodied by British satirist Rory Bremner under the pseudonym 'The Commentators,' as N-n-nineteen, Not Out, the title referring to the batting average of David Gower, the England cricket captain, during his side's risible performance against the West Indies in 1984 when they lost 5-0.

• With a similar name and anti-Vietnam War theme, "I Was Only Nineteen" by the Australian group Redgum reached number one on the Australian charts in 1983. In 2005 a hip hop version of the song was produced by The Herd.
• Other songs titled 19:
  • "Nineteen" by Bad4good
  • "Nineteen" by Buck-O-Nine
  • "Nineteen" by Phil Lynott
  • "Nineteen" by the Old 97's
  • "Nineteen" by Tegan and Sara
  • "Nineteen" by Phil Lynott

• Nineteen has been used as an alternative to twelve for a division of the octave into equal parts. This idea goes back to Salinas in the sixteenth century, and is interesting in part because it gives a system of meantone tuning, being close to 1/3 comma meantone. See 19 equal temperament.

• Some organs use the 19th harmonic to approximate a minor third.

Literature[link]

• Stephen King's eight-book epic The Dark Tower saga employs the number 19 in books The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger, The Dark Tower V: Wolves of the Calla, The Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah, The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower, and The Wind Through the Keyhole as a mysterious and important number. They refer to the "ka-tet of 19", "Directive Nineteen," many names add up to 19, 19 seems to permeate every aspect of Roland and his traveler's lives. In addition, the number ends up being a powerful key.

• In Jodi Picoult's bestseller book Nineteen Minutes, the number 19 is referenced multiple times. It is most commonly referenced when referring to the main subject of the book, the school shooting rampage that took place over a span of 19 minutes.

Games[link]

A 19x19 Go board

• The game of Go is played on a grid of 19×19 lines (though variants can be played on grids of other sizes).

• 19 is the command in Age of Empires for the laughing emote. This was an easier way to laugh before "LOL" existed.

• Though the maximum score for a cribbage hand is 29, there is no combination of cards that adds up to 19 points. Many cribbage players, therefore, jokingly refer to a zero-point hand as "19 points."

• In Ecuadorian card game "40", when counting the amount of cards gathered in a hand, the limit is 19, after which the count starts at 6 and represents the points achieved during that hand.

Age 19[link]

• The final year a person is a teenager.
• This is the minimum age that is legal to buy tobacco products in the states Alabama, Alaska, New Jersey, Utah and several counties in New York including Nassau, Suffolk, and Onondaga.^[3]
• This is the minimum age at which one can drink and buy alcohol in Canada except for the provinces of Alberta, Manitoba, and Quebec where the drinking and purchase age of alcohol is 18.
• This is the minimum age to marry in the state of Nebraska.

Cars[link]

• Renault 19, a car that was produced by French automobile manufacturer Renault.

Other fields[link]

• The Nineteen Propositions was a 1642 petition from parliament to King Charles I of England.
• The nineteenth President of the United States was Rutherford B. Hayes.
• The nineteenth state to enter the Union of the United States was Indiana
• Part of the name of a breakfast cereal: Product 19
• The Soviet submarine K-19 was the first Soviet nuclear ballistic submarine
• I-19 is the designation for a US Interstate highway in Arizona
• 19 years is very close to 235 lunations. See Metonic cycle
• In golf the "19th hole" is the clubhouse bar. In miniature golf it is an extra hole on which the winner earns an instant prize
• A number retired by several teams in North American sports. (Except as noted, all players are in the Hall of Fame of their respective sport.)
  • In the NFL:
    • Lance Alworth, by the San Diego Chargers.
    • Joe Montana, by the Kansas City Chiefs.
    • Johnny Unitas, by the Baltimore Colts. The team has honored this retirement in its current home of Indianapolis.
  • In Major League Baseball:
    • Bob Feller, by the Cleveland Indians.
    • Tony Gwynn, by the San Diego Padres.
    • Robin Yount, by the Milwaukee Brewers.
  • In the NBA:
    • Willis Reed, by the New York Knicks.
  • In the NHL:
    • Bill Masterton, by the Minnesota North Stars. The team has honored this retirement in its current home of Dallas. Masterton is not in the Hockey Hall of Fame; his number was retired after he died from an on-ice injury in 1968. He is the only NHL player to have died as a direct result of an injury suffered during an NHL game.
    • Larry Robinson, by the Montreal Canadiens.
    • Joe Sakic, by the Colorado Avalanche. Sakic is not yet eligible for the Hall of Fame, as he retired in 2009.
    • Bryan Trottier, by the New York Islanders.
    • Steve Yzerman, by the Detroit Red Wings. Some Red Wings fans collectively refer to themselves as "the 19" in his honor.[3]
    • Markus Naslund, by the Vancouver Canucks.
• In the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 19 is the number of a car owned by Richard Petty Motorsports, a Ford Fusion with Best Buy as its primary sponsor, and driven by Elliott Sadler.
• The number of the French department Corrèze

Historical years[link]

A.D. 19, 19 B.C., 1919, 2019, etc.

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: 19 (number)

Look up nineteen in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Number 19 at the Database of Number Correlations
• Prime Curios for the number 19

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Note: This page may need to be cleaned up to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Further information might be found on the talk page. Tools: DabFix

vep:19 (lugu)

Paul Hardcastle (born 10 December 1957, London, England^[1]) is an English composer and musician, specialising in the synthesizer.

Career[link]

In the early 1980s, Hardcastle played the keyboards on several singles on the Oval record label by the dance music groups Direct Drive and First Light, before going solo.

He achieved some acclaim for his early singles, notably in 1984, the electro-funk/freestyle/instrumental track, "Rain Forest", which along with the track, "Sound Chaser" hit number two on the dance chart.^[2] "Rain Forest" also hit number five on the soul chart and number fifty-seven on the Hot 100.^[3] In 1985, he came to greater prominence with the international hit "19", a song about America's involvement in the Vietnam War and the effect it had on the soldiers who served, using sampled dialogue from an American television documentary about the post-traumatic stress disorder suffered by veterans.

Hardcastle enjoyed several further hits in the UK, including "Don't Waste My Time" (with vocals by Carol Kenyon) (UK #8) and "The Wizard", a UK #15 hit that became the theme tune for BBC Television's music chart show Top of the Pops in the 80's. He also had a hit with "Just For Money", which reached #19 in the UK and featured Bob Hoskins and Laurence Olivier. Earlier, he had cut a cover version of D-Train's most influential hit "You're the One For Me", segued with his own compositions "Daybreak" and "A.M." Hardcastle also wrote the theme tune for Saturday Live, a popular entertainment show which ran from 1985-1987.

He also made the hit single "The Voyager", which was used for the BBC One programme Holiday. Paul now acknowledges he was behind the "N-N-Nineteen Not Out" track with Rory Bremner.

After 1986, Hardcastle started to specialise in television soundtracks and remixed work, for artists as such as Five Star, Barry White, Third World, Sinitta, Johnny Logan, Hiroshima and Ian Dury.

In 1988, Hardcastle released the concept album, No Winners, which focuses on the potential negative effects of the Cold War arms race. In 2000, he released Hardcastle III, which included a remake of "Rainforest" and a hit single, "Desire."

Hardcastle has also recorded several synth jazz albums, alternating releases under the artist names Kiss The Sky, The Jazzmasters, and Paul Hardcastle.^[1] Working regularly with vocalist Helen Rogers, Hardcastle has recruited several saxophonists including Gary Barnacle (on the first album), Snake Davis, Phil Todd and Tony Woods. All these albums have been played on smooth jazz radio in the United States, where some of the most played tracks include "Northern Lights", "Lost in Space", "Desire", "Shine", and "Serene". He won the Billboard Smooth Jazz Artist Of The Year award in 2008.

2010's The Jazzmasters VI track "Touch and Go", featuring his son Paul Jr. on saxophone, reached #1 on the US Billboard Jazz songs chart, becoming his tenth number one on the Smooth Jazz chart in total.

His most recent album, Hardcastle VI, released in September 2011, features yet another remake of "Rainforest" -- this time mixed with R&B legend Marvin Gaye's signature song, "What's Going On."

Personal life[link]

Hardcastle is married to Dolores Baker, and they have three children^[4]: Maxine (born April 1986^[5][6]), Paul Jr. (born August 1990^[7]), and Ritchie (born May 1997).

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

Smooth jazz albums[link]

Hardcastle series

The Jazzmasters series

Kiss The Sky series

Singles[link]

• 1984: "You're the One For Me - Daybreak - A.M." (UK #41)
• 1984: "Guilty" (UK #55)
• 1984: "Rainforest" (UK #41)
• 1984: "Eat Your Heart Out" (UK #59)
• 1985: "19" (Switzerland #1 (7 Weeks) ; Norway #1 (7 Weeks) ; Germany #1 (6 Weeks) ; UK #1 (5 Weeks); Netherlands #1 (5 Weeks); New Zealand #1 (4 Weeks); Sweden #1 (2 Weeks); Austria #1; Italy #1; Ireland #1; US Dance Club Play Chart #1 (2 Weeks); France #15; U.S. #15)
• 1985 "N-N-Nineteen Not Out" as producer of Rory Bremner's parody single recorded under the name of the Commentators (UK #13)
• 1985: "Rainforest" (re-issue) (US #57 / UK #53)
• 1985: "Just for Money" (UK #19; Ireland #15)
• 1986: "Don't Waste My Time" (UK #8; Ireland #15)
• 1986: "Foolin' Yourself" (UK #51)
• 1986: "The Wizard" (UK #15; Ireland #10)
• 1988: "Walk in the Night" (UK #54)
• 1988: "40 Years" (UK #53)
• 1989: "Are You Ready" as Paul Hardcastle Sound Syndication (UK #90)
• 2011: "Rainforest"/"What's Going On - Smooth Jazz Indicator Chart (#16)
• 2011: "Easy Come, Easy Go - Smooth Jazz Indicator Chart (#1)

Complete Chart from 1981 to 2011 can be seen here.... http://www.paulhardcastle.com/charts.html ^[9]

See also[link]

• List of number-one dance hits (United States)
• List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart
• List of 1980s one-hit wonders in the United States
• List of performers on Top of the Pops
• List of Euro disco artists
• List of smooth jazz performers
• List of synthpop artists
• List of artists who reached number one on the UK Singles Chart

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• European website
• Trippin 'n' Rhythm Records
• [2]
• Paul Hardcastle at the Internet Movie Database

Tegan and Sara
Tegan and Sara performing at the 2010 Polaris Music Prize Ceremony
Background information
Origin	Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Genres	Indie rock, new wave[1], indie pop, indie folk
Years active	1995 (1995)–present
Labels	Vapor, Sanctuary, Sire
Website	teganandsara.com
Members
Tegan Quin Sara Quin

Tegan and Sara are a Canadian indie band^[1] formed in 1995^[2][3] in Calgary. Composed of identical twin sisters Tegan Rain Quin and Sara Keirsten Quin^[4] (born September 19, 1980). Both Tegan and Sara play guitar and keyboard and write their songs.^[5]

History[link]

The duo has toured internationally—they're seen here in San Diego in the United States

Tegan and Sara Quin were born September 19, 1980 in Calgary, Alberta. They began playing guitar and writing songs at age 15.^[3] They initially played as Plunk without a drummer or bass player. In 1997, they used their school’s recording studio to record two demo albums: Who's in Your Band? and Play Day. In 1998, they won Calgary's Garage Warz competition, using the studio time they won to record their first professional demo, Yellow tape, which was followed by Orange tape and Red tape.

Two songs from Red tape appeared on their first album, Under Feet Like Ours, which they released independently in 1999 under the name "Sara and Tegan". They later changed their name to "Tegan and Sara" because it was easier to pronounce^[6] and reprinted the album using that name. They also wanted their name to stand out amongst the other 'Sara' musicians at the time such as Sarah McLachlan and Sarah Slean. Tegan was easier to remember.^{[citation needed]} Neil Young's manager signed them to Young's Vapor Records label, and they released This Business of Art through Vapor in 2000. They have toured extensively since then.

In 2002, the band released their third album If It Was You. Their fourth album, So Jealous, was released in 2004 and led to wider success. This album was released through both Vapor and Sanctuary. One track on the album, "Walking with a Ghost", was covered by The White Stripes, who released it on their Walking with a Ghost EP.^[7]

Their 2007 album, The Con, was released by Vapor and Sire because Sanctuary chose to no longer release new music in the United States. The album was co-produced by Chris Walla. Jason McGerr of Death Cab for Cutie, Matt Sharp of The Rentals and previously Weezer, Hunter Burgan of AFI, and Kaki King all appear on the album.^[8]

On October 27, 2009, Tegan and Sara released their sixth album Sainthood, produced by Chris Walla and Howard Redekopp, as well as a three-volume book set titled ON, IN, AT, which is a collection of stories, essays, journals, and photos of the band on tour in America in the fall of 2008, writing together in New Orleans, and touring Australia. The photographs in the book are by Lindsey Byrnes and Ryan Russell.^[9] While recording Sainthood, Tegan and Sara spent a week writing songs together in New Orleans. The song "Paperback Head" appeared on the album, making it the first song on any Tegan and Sara album that they wrote together.^[10] Spin magazine gave Sainthood four out of five stars and wrote, "Tegan and Sara's music may no longer be the stuff of teens, but its strength remains in how much it feels like two people talking."^[11]

In 2011, they launched 2011: A Merch Odyssey, which sees the launch of at least one new item in the official online stores every month, all year long. A live CD/DVD combination package titled Get Along was released on November 15 and contains three films titled 'States', 'India' and 'For The Most Part'.

Tegan and Sara stated on their website that they would start recording their seventh studio album on February 20, 2012.

Tegan and Sara's seventh record is being produced by three different producers. So far the band has announced via twitter and their weekly youtube show that they have been recording six songs with Producer Greg Kurstin, Joey Waronker has contributed drums to these six songs and Sia stopped by the studio to contribute vocals to a song. Four more songs are being produced by Mike Elizondo, with Victor Indrizzo contributing drums, Josh Lopez contributing guitar and Dave Palmer contributing piano/keyboards.

Personal lives[link]

Both twins are openly gay.^[12] Tegan lives in Vancouver, BC and Los Angeles, CA. Sara lives in Montreal, QC and New York, NY.^[5]

Touring[link]

Tegan and Sara being interviewed at the 2005 Coachella.

Tegan and Sara began touring after graduating from high school in 1998, traveling by car or Greyhound bus.^[13] In 2000, they toured with Neil Young and The Pretenders. Other notable touring mates include Ryan Adams, Ben Folds, Gogol Bordello, Cake, City and Colour, Communiqué, Death Cab for Cutie, Hot Hot Heat, Kadawatha, The Killers, New Found Glory, Paramore, Rufus Wainwright, and Weezer.

Their onstage banter, including stories and commentary about their childhood, politics, and life on the road, has become an indispensable part of their live shows.

They have performed at festivals including Sarah McLachlan's Lilith Fair 1999, Coachella, Lollapalooza, SXSW 2005, Austin City Limits, Bonnaroo, Falls Festival, Sasquatch!, Cyndi Lauper's True Colors Tour 2008; Southbound 2009, Glastonbury, Lilith Fair, Sasquatch! 2010,Winnipeg Folk Festival 2011,^[14] Newport Folk Festival 2011,Sasktel Saskatchewan Jazz Fest 2011, and Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest 2011.

In December 2010, Tegan and Sara supported Jack Johnson in New Zealand and Australia.

Other work[link]

In 2009, both Tegan and Sara worked as producers for the first time. Tegan worked with char2d2 on the 2009 Small Vampires EP, while Sara worked on 2010 debut albums for Fences and Hesta Prynn.^[15]

Collaborations[link]

Sara singing and playing guitar

Tegan sang backing vocals on Rachael Cantu's "Saturday" from her Run All Night album, and in 2007 sang in Against Me!'s song "Borne on the FM Waves of the Heart." Sara sang in The Reason's song "We're So Beyond This", as well as appearing in the music video.

In April 2008, Tegan wrote and recorded a song titled "His Love" at the request of Augusten Burroughs as a contribution to the audio version of his book A Wolf at the Table. The two headlined Spin's September 2008 Liner Notes benefit for Housing Works, a New York non-profit.^[16]

In addition to their own set, Tegan and Sara performed with DJ Tiësto during the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival on June 13, 2008. Tegan and Sara appeared as guests, providing live vocals for Tiësto's remix of "Back in Your Head".^[17] Tegan and Sara also collaborated with Tiësto on the song "Feel It in My Bones" from his 2009 album Kaleidoscope and appeared in the music video for this song.

Tegan and Sara are featured on Margaret Cho's 2009 album Cho Dependent on the track "Intervention". They are also featured in Margaret's video for the song.

Tegan and Sara released an "Alligator" remix album on iTunes in 2010. Contributors included Doveman, Four Tet, Passion Pit, Ra Ra Riot, and VHS or Beta.

Sara is featured on rapper/songwriter/producer Theophilus London's track "Why Even Try" from his 2011 Lover's Holiday EP.

Both Tegan and Sara appear in Sara Bareilles' star-studded music video for her song "Uncharted". The video premiered in March 2011 and also features, amongst others, Josh Groban, Laura Jansen, Ingrid Michaelson, Pharell Williams, Adam Levine, Ben Folds, Keenan Cahill, Jennifer Nettles, and Vanessa Carlton.

Tegan sings with Jim Ward on his "Broken Songs."

Sara appeared on Jonathan Coulton's 2011 album Artificial Heart, providing vocals for the album's remake of the song Coulton wrote for Valve's game Portal, "Still Alive".

NOFX's song "Creeping Out Sara" is about the two sisters. During a live Q&A when asked what they thought of the song Sara answered, 'The song is called "Creeping Out Sara"; I am Sara, and I was creeped out.'

Sara appears in Kaki King's music video for "Pull Me out Alive."

Tegan sang on "Contrails" by rapper Astronautalis on his 2011 album This Is Our Science. She also appears in the music video.

Both Tegan and Sara perform in "Body Work" and "Video" on Morgan Page's 2012 album In the Air. They also appear in the music video for "Body Work".

Television and film[link]

Tegan and Sara have appeared on American, Canadian, and European television shows, including Jimmy Kimmel Live (2005), Jonovision, The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn (2004), Late Night with Conan O'Brien (2005, 2007, 2009), The Late Show with David Letterman (2000, 2008), The NewMusic, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (2008), and ZeD.^[14]

Tegan and Sara songs have been featured in the films Monster-in-Law, Sweet November, and These Girls, and in the television shows 90210, Being Erica, Ghost Whisperer, Grey's Anatomy, The Hills, Hollyoaks, jPod, The L Word, Life Unexpected, Melrose Place (2009 series), One Tree Hill, Parenthood, Rookie Blue, Vampire Diaries, Veronica Mars, Waterloo Road (2011) and What's New, Scooby-Doo?.

In 2006, Tegan and Sara performed in The L Word episode "Last Dance" (season 3, episode 11). In 2008, they appeared on the kids music television show Pancake Mountain where they acted in a skit and performed their songs "Back in Your Head", "Hop a Plane", and an acoustic version of "Walking with a Ghost".^[20] In 2010, they appeared on CBC's Mamma Yamma, revising their single "Alligator" into a children's song.

In 2011, Sara Quin was a panelist on Canada Reads defending Jeff Lemire's graphic novel Essex County. The book, the first graphic novel to be featured as part of Canada Reads, was voted off after the first round.

Band members[link]

Tegan Quin at a concert in Detroit, Michigan

• Tegan Quin – vocals, guitar, keyboards
• Sara Quin – vocals, guitar, keyboards

Backing musicians

• Ted Gowans – guitar, keyboards

Former backing musicians

• Johnny "Five" Andrews – drums
• Shaun Huberts – bass guitar
• Dan Kelly – bass guitar
• Chris Carlson – bass guitar
• Rob Chursinoff – drums

Discography[link]

	Book: Tegan and Sara
Wikipedia books are collections of articles that can be downloaded or ordered in print.

• Under Feet Like Ours (1999)
• This Business of Art (2000)
• If It Was You (2002)
• So Jealous (2004)
• The Con (2007)
• Sainthood (2009)
• Get Along - (Live Album/DVD) (2011)

Awards and nominations[link]

References[link]

Citations

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Tegan and Sara

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Tegan and Sara

• Tegan and Sara Official website
• Tegan and Sara's channel on YouTube

Billy Ray Cyrus
Cyrus, December 2009.
Background information
Birth name	William Ray Cyrus
Born	(1961-08-25) August 25, 1961 (age 50) Flatwoods, Kentucky, U.S.
Origin	Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
Genres	Country, country pop
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, actor, producer, philanthropist
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, piano
Years active	1980–present (singer) 1995–present (actor)
Labels	Mercury, Monument, Madacy, Word/Curb/Warner Bros., New Door/UMe, Walt Disney, Lyric Street, Buena Vista
Associated acts	Miley Cyrus, Trace Cyrus, Dolly Parton, Adam Gregory, Mark Collie, Jeffrey Steele, Brother Clyde, Noah Cyrus
Website	Official site

William "Billy" Ray Cyrus (born August 25, 1961) is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor and philanthropist, who has achieved great success worldwide.^[1][2][3] Having released twelve studio albums and forty-four singles since 1992, he is best known for his Number One single "Achy Breaky Heart", which became the first single ever to achieve triple Platinum status in Australia. It was also the best-selling single in the same country in 1992.^[4][5] Thanks to the video of this hit, the linedance catapulted into the mainstream, becoming a worldwide craze.^{[6][7][8][9][10]} Cyrus, a multi-platinum selling recording artist, has scored a total of eight top-ten singles on the Billboard Country Songs chart. His most successful album to date is the debut of Some Gave All, which has been certified 9× Multi-Platinum in the United States and is the longest time spent by a debut artist at Number One on the Billboard 200 (17 consecutive weeks) and most consecutive chart-topping weeks in the SoundScan era.^[11][12] It's the only album (from any genre) in the SoundScan era to log 17 consecutive weeks at Number One and is also the top-ranking debut album by a male country artist. It ranked 43 weeks in the top 10, a total topped by only one country album in history, Ropin' The Wind by Garth Brooks.^[13] Some Gave All was also the first debut album to enter at the number 1 in the Billboard Country Albums.^[14] The album has also sold more than 20 million copies worldwide and is the Best-selling debut album of all time for a solo male artist. Some Gave All was also the best-selling album of the 1992 in the US with 4,832,000 copies.^[15][16] In his career, he has released 35 charted singles, of which 15 charted in the Top 40.

From 2001 to 2004, Cyrus starred in the television show Doc. The show was about a country doctor who moved from Montana to New York City. In late 2005, he began to co-star in the Disney Channel series Hannah Montana with his daughter Miley Cyrus.

Early life[link]

William Ray Cyrus^[17] was born in Flatwoods, Kentucky to Ron Cyrus, a politician, and his wife, the former Ruth Ann Casto.^[18][19] His grandfather was a Pentecostal preacher. Growing up, he was surrounded by bluegrass and gospel music from his family. His right-handed father played guitar. Left-handed Cyrus tried to play his father's guitar, but could not. He attended Georgetown College on a baseball scholarship before changing it to music. In the 1980s, he played in the bar band called Sly Dog, before signing a record contract with Mercury Nashville Records.^[20]

Music career[link]

The Mercury Records years[link]

While trying to get a recording contract in Los Angeles, Cyrus was referred to as "too country" for LA, and "too rock" for Nashville. However, in 1990, he was signed to PolyGram/Mercury. Cyrus began to record and write music for his debut album, released in 1992.

Some Gave All was released in 1992. The album became an instant chart and sales successor. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums, Billboard 200, Canadian Country Albums chart, Canadian Albums Chart, and on the charts of several other foreign countries. The album featured four consecutive Top 40 singles on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart from 1992 to 1993; including an album cut, the title track. The most successful single released was "Achy Breaky Heart". It reached #1 on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and was also a hit on the pop charts, where it reached #4. Although the song was the only number one single, "Could've Been Me" reached #2, "Wher'm I Gonna Live?" reached #23, and "She's Not Cryin' Anymore" reached #6.

Some Gave All was certified 9× Multi-Platinum in the United States in 1996, and has sold over 20 million copies worldwide.

Billy Ray Cyrus singing at the Spirit of America tour.

In 1993, Cyrus and Mercury Records quickly released Cyrus' second studio album, It Won't Be the Last. The album featured four singles, however, only three made the Top 40. The album debuted at #1 on the Country charts, and #3 on the Billboard 200. By the end of the year, It Won't Be the Last was certified Platinum by the RIAA. The highest charting single, the lead-off single, "In the Heart of a Woman", charted to #3, with "Somebody New" charting to #9, "Words By Heart" at #12, and "Talk Some" at #63.

Cyrus' third studio album, Storm in the Heartland, was released in 1994. The album was his final album he recorded for PolyGram, as they closed their doors in 1995. The album was not as successful as its preceders. It only reached #11 on the Country albums chart, and only the title track made the Top 40 of the Country singles chart. "Deja Blue" was the second single released, however, it only managed to chart to #66, and the third and final single, "One Last Thrill", failed to chart at all.

The album only managed to be certified Gold in the U.S. Before Cyrus started on his next album, he was transferred to Mercury Nashville.

Also in 1994, Cyrus contributed the song "Pictures Don’t Lie" to the AIDS benefit album Red Hot + Country produced by the Red Hot Organization.

Cyrus' most critically acclaimed album was 1996's, Trail of Tears on Mercury Records. The album debuted at #20 on the Country chart when released. Only two songs made the cut to radio, although neither one hit the Top 60. The title track and "Three Little Words" were released reaching #69, and #65 respectively. The album failed to reach any certification, and was on and off the charts after only four weeks.

Mercury Nashville released Shot Full of Love in 1998. The album became his lowest-peaking album, debuting at #32. The first single, "Under the Hood", failed to chart, "Time for Letting Go" hit #70, "Busy Man" charted #3, and "I Give My Heart to You" reached #41. After the single fell from the charts, Cyrus left Mercury's roster and signed with Monument Records in 1999.

His debut album for Monument, Southern Rain, was released in 2000. It debuted at #13 on the Country albums chart and #102 on the Billboard 200. Five singles were released and all five charted. The lead-off single, "You Won't Be Lonely Now", was the highest peaking single from the album, charting to #17. Other singles include "We the People" (#60), "Burn Down the Trailer Park" (#43), "Crazy 'Bout You Baby" (#58), and the title track (#45).

Move to Christian music[link]

After the singles from Southern Rain finished their chart runs, Cyrus began to record two Christian albums. Both albums, Time Flies and The Other Side, were released in 2003. The first album debuted and peaked at a low #56 on the Country album charts. Three singles were released, however, only the final single charted. "Bread Alone", "What Else Is There", and "Back to Memphis" were released, where "Back to Memphis" charted to #60.

The second Christian album, The Other Side, was recorded while Cyrus filmed his PAX series, Doc. It debuted at #5 on the Top Christian Albums chart, #18 Top Country Albums, and #131 on Billboard 200. Two of three singles charted, "Face of God" (#54) and "The Other Side" (#45), while "Always Sixteen" failed to chart at all.

Disney Entertainment[link]

The album Wanna Be Your Joe was Billy Ray's first country album since 2000s Southern Rain. As with its preceding albums, it too, was recorded on a new record label: New Door/UMe Records. It was released while Cyrus was filming the show Hannah Montana. Wanna Be Your Joe made it to #24 on the Country charts and #113 on the all-genre charts. The album initially sold well, but no hit-single was released. The title track was released as the first single, and was followed by "I Want My Mullet Back", both of which were ignored by country radio. Although not released as a single, a music video was made for the track "Stand", a duet with daughter Miley Cyrus.

Also in 2006, Billy Ray appeared with metal-rock group Metal Skool (now Steel Panther), and performed several songs including "Rebel Yell" by Billy Idol, and the song "I Want My Mullet Back", which appears on Wanna Be Your Joe.^[21]

Billy Ray Cyrus singing at the Kids Inaugural Event on January 19, 2009.

He also sang "The Star Spangled Banner" at Game 5 of the 2006 World Series in St. Louis, Missouri.

Career re-launch[link]

In mid-2007, Cyrus was a celebrity contestant on the 4th season of the show Dancing with the Stars. Cyrus was partnered with Karina Smirnoff. As the show began to air, Cyrus was instantly a fan favorite. Cyrus and Smirnoff made it to the semi-finals where they finished in 5th place.

From his exposure on Dancing with the Stars and Hannah Montana, his record label pushed up the release date a month in advance of his new album. Home at Last was released in July 2007 on Walt Disney Records. It debuted at #3 on the country charts, making it Cyrus' first Top 5 entry since It Won't Be the Last debuted at #1 in 1993. Beginning sales for the album were very strong, however, the album failed to be certified. The single, "Ready, Set, Don't Go", was initially released as a solo single. The solo version made it to #33 on the Hot Country Songs chart.

In October 2007, Cyrus and daughter Miley Cyrus, performed a duet version of the song on Dancing with the Stars. The duet of the song debuted at #27 on the Country charts and eventually peaked at #4 in 2008; giving Billy Ray his first Top 5 single since "Busy Man" in 1999, as well as Miley's first Top 5 on any Billboard chart.

Cyrus was a part of the Disney collection, Country Sings Disney in 2008. Two of his songs, "Ready, Set, Don't Go" and the Sheryl Crow penned song, "Real Gone" appeared on the album. Billy Ray's version of "Real Gone" was also made into a music video that is in rotation on both CMT and GAC; the song also appears on Back to Tennessee.

New label and newfound chart success[link]

In late-2008, his website confirmed that a new studio album would be released by the end of the year from Lyric Street Records, entitled Back to Tennessee. The album was originally planned to be released on October 21, 2008, but was pushed back to November 18. When the album was not released, it was announced for a January 13, 2009 release.^[22] The first single, "Somebody Said a Prayer", debuted at #53 in August 2008 and reached #33 in November of that year. On March 14, 2009, the albums title track debuted at #59 on the country singles chart and a month later on April 7, Back to Tennessee was released. The song only charted to #47 after 11 weeks. A third single, "A Good Day", debuted at #60 on the country charts for the chart week of September 5, 2009.

It was less successful in its first week out as Home at Last. It only reached #13 on the charts and only sold approximately 14,000 copies in its opening week. The albums release date coincided with the release of Hannah Montana: The Movie. The song "Back to Tennessee" was included on the movies soundtrack, as well as a duet with Miley Cyrus, entitled "Butterfly Fly Away". The latter song would peak at #56 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at #50 and Canadian Hot 100.

On November 12, 2008, Billy Ray and Miley presented the "Song of the Year" award at the 42nd Annual Country Music Association Awards. Prior to the award show, both Billy Ray and Miley performed on Good Morning America. In December 2008, Cyrus made a cameo in Metro Station's video, "Seventeen Forever".^[23]

Shortly after the chart debut of Back to Tennessee's third single, "A Good Day", Cyrus and Lyric Street Records parted ways after only one album.^[24]

Cyrus, Phil Vassar, Jeffrey Steele and John Waite then formed a new supergroup together in early 2009 called Brother Clyde.^[25] On Twitter, Cyrus confirmed the supergroup, saying they just cut the first single from the new album, Lately.^[26]

On June 30, 2010. Cyrus released on his Facebook information about the new alternative rock group, Brother Clyde, with the old members substituted by Samantha Maloney, Jamie Miller, Dan Knight and Dave Henning. He also stated that their single, "Lately", was available on iTunes and that their debut album would be out on August 10, 2010.

Post-Brother Clyde[link]

In late 2010, Cyrus suspended his activities in the band Brother Clyde, and announced the release of his new solo patriotic album, entitled I'm American. Initially scheduled to be released in November 2010, it was pushed back to a May 24, 2011 release with a re-recording of "Some Gave All" that featured guest vocals from Darryl Worley, Jamey Johnson and Craig Morgan being released as the lead-off single. However, in April 2011, the single was changed to "Runway Lights". I'm American was released on June 28, 2011. A second single, "Nineteen", was released in August 2011. The song entered the Hot Country Songs chart for the week of October 8, 2011, where it debuted at number 58. It is Cyrus' first charted single since "A Good Day" in 2009.

Acting career[link]

Cyrus starred in the 1999 independent film Radical Jack. He also had a small part in David Lynch's 2001 film Mulholland Drive as Gene, a pool cleaner who had been having an affair with the wife of Adam Kesher (Justin Theroux). In 2001, Cyrus played the lead role on the PAX (now ION Television) comedy-drama Doc, which became the network's highest-rated show. In 2005, Cyrus expanded his acting career in a stage production of Annie Get Your Gun in Toronto, appearing in the role of Frank Butler.^[27]

Cyrus' television credits include The Nanny, Diagnosis Murder, Love Boat, The Next Wave, and TNN’s 18 Wheels Of Justice. In 2004, he guest-starred as a limo driver in the episode "The Power of Love" of the Canadian teen drama Degrassi: The Next Generation. Cyrus has also been the subject of many television specials that detail his rise to fame and his career. These include two ABC documentaries, Billy Ray Cyrus: Dreams Come True and Billy Ray Cyrus: A Year on the Road, a VH1 exclusive, as well as the TNN specials I Give My Heart To You, and The Life and Times of Billy Ray Cyrus. In late 2005, Cyrus and his daughter Miley Cyrus began co-starring in the Disney Channel original television series, Hannah Montana, which premiered on March 24, 2006.

In March 2007, Cyrus joined several other celebrities to take part in the fourth season of the US version of Dancing with the Stars.^[28] He and his partner Karina Smirnoff, were eliminated in the eighth week (May 8, 2007) after having also placed in the "bottom two" the week before.^[29]

Cyrus also starred in Jackie Chan's movie The Spy Next Door. It was shot in Albuquerque, New Mexico and released in January 2010.

Cyrus sits on the advisory board of the Parents Television Council.^[27]

In 2010, it was announced that he and his son Trace Cyrus would take part in a new Syfy reality series called UFO: Unbelievably Freakin' Obvious.^[30][31][32]

Personal life[link]

From 1986 to 1991, Cyrus was married to Cindy Smith, with whom he co-wrote the songs "Wher'm I Gonna Live?" and "Some Gave All", both of which were featured on his 1992 debut album Some Gave All.

On December 28, 1993, he married Leticia "Tish" Cyrus, née Finley.^{[33][34][35][36]} Together they have three children: daughters Miley Ray (born Destiny Hope in 1992) and Noah Lindsey (born 2000), and son Braison Chance (born 1994). He also has two adopted stepchildren from Finley's previous marriage: Brandi (born 1987); and Trace (born 1989), former singer/guitarist for Metro Station. He also has a son, Christopher Cody (born 1992), from a previous relationship with Kristin Luckey, who raised him in South Carolina. Cyrus adopted Brandi and Trace when they were young children.^[37] In a 2004 interview on ABC News: Primetime, Cyrus stated that daughter Miley (conceived with Finley) and son Christopher (conceived with Luckey) were both born in 1992, at which time Cyrus was unmarried, and that his marriage to Finley the following year when she was pregnant with their son was secret and against his record company's advice.^[34]