Billy Ray Cyrus has built a career around country music, but his family has become almost as recognizable as his music. The singer is the father of six children, including pop superstar Miley Cyrus, and his blended family includes adopted children, a son from a previous relationship and two daughters who have followed him into music.
Over the years, the Cyrus family has experienced marriages, divorces, career successes and highly publicized disagreements. In 2026, however, there are also signs that some of those strained relationships may be moving toward a more positive place.
Here is a closer look at Billy Ray Cyrus’ family, his six children and the people who have shaped his personal life.
His Parents
Billy Ray was born in Kentucky to Ron Cyrus and Ruth Ann Casto.
His father, Ron, worked as a steelworker before entering politics and becoming involved in public service. Billy Ray grew up in a family with strong roots in Kentucky and eventually pursued music, finding his breakthrough with the 1992 hit “Achy Breaky Heart.”
Another famous connection in the family’s history is Dolly Parton. The country icon became Miley Cyrus’ godmother and has maintained a longstanding friendship with Billy Ray and the Cyrus family.
His First Marriage
Billy Ray’s first wife was Cindy Smith.
The couple married in 1986 and divorced in 1991. They did not have children together.
Several years later, Cyrus entered the marriage that would become the foundation of his best-known family.
Tish Cyrus
Billy Ray married Tish Finley in 1993.
Their relationship lasted for nearly three decades, although the marriage experienced several periods of difficulty and divorce filings before ultimately ending in 2022.
Together, they raised a large blended family. Tish already had children from a previous relationship, and Billy Ray later legally adopted Brandi and Trace.
The family eventually became one of the most recognizable entertainment families in America.
Brandi Cyrus
Brandi Cyrus is Tish’s daughter from a previous relationship and was legally adopted by Billy Ray.
Born in 1987, Brandi has developed a career of her own rather than relying solely on the Cyrus family name.
She has worked as an actress, television personality, DJ and podcast host. She has also developed an interest in equestrian activities and lifestyle content.
Her career has largely taken a different direction from her younger siblings, although she remains connected to the entertainment world.
Trace Cyrus
Trace Cyrus, born in 1989, is also Tish’s child from a previous relationship and was adopted by Billy Ray.
He became particularly well known as the vocalist and guitarist of Metro Station, the pop-rock group behind the hit “Shake It.”
Trace has continued making music throughout his adult life.
His relationship with his father has, however, received considerable public attention in recent years because of periods of tension within the family.
Christopher Cody
Christopher Cody Cyrus is Billy Ray’s biological son from his former relationship with Kristin Luckey.
Born in 1992, Christopher Cody grew up largely outside the entertainment spotlight.
Unlike several of his famous siblings, he has maintained a considerably more private lifestyle. His existence is sometimes overlooked when discussions focus on the better-known Cyrus children, but he is an important part of Billy Ray’s family tree.
He was born just months before his half-sister Miley.
Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus is Billy Ray’s eldest biological child with Tish.
Born in 1992, Miley became a household name after starring alongside her father in Disney Channel’s Hannah Montana.
The show’s enormous success transformed her into a global star while also establishing Billy Ray as an important part of her early career.
Miley eventually moved away from her Disney image and developed a successful career as a pop and rock performer. She has earned multiple Grammy Awards and become one of the most commercially successful members of the Cyrus family.
Her relationship with her father has experienced periods of distance, but Billy Ray has continued to express pride in her achievements.
Braison Cyrus
Braison Cyrus, born in 1994, is Billy Ray and Tish’s second biological son.
He has pursued music as a singer-songwriter and has also worked as a model and actor.
Braison has remained closely connected to the family’s musical roots and has collaborated with his father on various projects.
His relationship with Billy Ray attracted attention after he and Noah later shared a stage with their father, providing one of the clearest recent signs of family reconciliation.
Noah Cyrus
Noah Cyrus is Billy Ray and Tish’s youngest child.
Born in 2000, she followed her family’s musical tradition and established herself as a singer-songwriter.
Noah’s music has developed a distinct identity of its own, moving in an alternative and indie-pop direction. She has earned Grammy recognition and built a substantial career separate from her father’s country-music legacy.
Her relationship with Billy Ray has also been closely watched amid the family’s disagreements.
Family Tensions
The Cyrus family faced increased public scrutiny after Billy Ray and Tish’s divorce.
When Tish married actor Dominic Purcell in 2023, Noah and Braison did not attend the ceremony, prompting speculation about divisions within the family.
Trace later expressed concern about his father publicly in January 2025. In an emotional message, he said he felt the family had become increasingly distant from Billy Ray and encouraged his father to step away from pressures surrounding fame.
Billy Ray subsequently spoke about wanting healing within the family.
Signs of Healing
By 2026, there have been encouraging signs.
One of the most notable moments came at the Stagecoach Music Festival in April 2026, when Noah and Braison brought Billy Ray onto the stage as a surprise guest.
The performance was significant because of the family’s previous public tensions. Seeing father and children perform together offered fans a glimpse of a potentially warmer chapter.
Billy Ray’s relationship with Elizabeth Hurley has also introduced another dimension to the family.
Hurley has spent time with his children and has reportedly developed particularly warm connections with Noah and Braison through their shared interest in music.
His Current Partner
Billy Ray is currently in a relationship with British actress and model Elizabeth Hurley.
The couple first met while working on Christmas in Paradise in 2022 before reconnecting years later. Their romance became public in 2025.
Hurley has one son, Damian Hurley, while Billy Ray has six children, giving the relationship another blended-family element.
The couple have reportedly divided their time between Tennessee and England and have spoken positively about their life together.
Billy Ray Cyrus’ family is a complicated but fascinating blend of music, entertainment, adoption and relationships.
He has six children: Brandi, Trace, Christopher Cody, Miley, Braison and Noah. Brandi and Trace were adopted after Tish brought them into the marriage, while Christopher Cody is his son from Kristin Luckey. Miley, Braison and Noah are his biological children with Tish.
After decades of marriage, divorce and family disagreements, the Cyrus family has endured its share of difficult periods. Yet performances such as Billy Ray’s surprise appearance with Noah and Braison at Stagecoach in 2026 suggest that relationships can evolve.
