November 23rd, 2007 - Happy Birthday Miley Cyrus!

She is best known for starring as Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel Original Series, Hannah Montana.

Born in Franklin, Tennessee, a suburb of Nashville, Miley Cyrus attended Heritage Middle School but now she has a private tutor. She grew up on her parents’ farm outside of Nashville. Cyrus is the daughter of country singer Billy Ray Cyrus and Leticia “Tish” Cyrus, and the granddaughter of the late Ron Cyrus and Ruth Ann Cyrus. She has two elder half-brothers, Christopher Cody and Trace, the latter being the vocalist and guitarist of an electronic rock band, Metro Station in California. She also has an elder half-sister, Brandi, a younger brother, Braison, and a younger sister, Noah Lindsey Cyrus, who is also an actress. She was named Destiny Hope because her parents believed that she would accomplish great things.

Cyrus gained her nickname “Miley” because she kept smiling (”Smiley”) as a youngster. In an interview with USA Today, Cyrus was quoted as saying her faith is “the main thing” and is the reason why she works in Hollywood. When interviewed by Parade, she added that she attends church regularly with her family. She also has many pets, including horses, dogs, cats, fish and chickens.

Cyrus was eleven years old when she originally auditioned for Disney for the lead as well as the “best friend” roles; Disney Channel executives then judged her to be “too small”, however Miley was persistent in her desire to be part of the show, so Disney called her back for further auditions when she turned 12. According to Disney Channel Executive Vice President Gary Marsh, Cyrus was chosen for Hannah Montana because of her energetic and lively performance and was seen as a person who “loves every minute of life”, with the “everyday relatability of Hilary Duff and the stage presence of Shania Twain”. She spent several years to get rid of her Southern accent, but in the end Disney wanted her to revive it.

Later in an unusual twist, Cyrus had to audition her own father, Billy Ray Cyrus, to see if he would fit the role as Hannah’s dad. Cyrus currently stars in Hannah Montana as the lead character Miley Stewart, whose alter ego is the pop music sensation Hannah Montana. Cyrus also performs in character as Hannah Montana for albums and concerts.

Walt Disney Records released the Hannah Montana soundtrack on October 24, 2006. The soundtrack included eight of the songs that Cyrus performed as Hannah Montana. Cyrus also signed a four-album major record deal with Hollywood Records for her own albums.

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