{"id":17947,"date":"2019-08-25T08:36:27","date_gmt":"2019-08-25T14:36:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cmt.com\/news\/?p=1810987"},"modified":"2019-08-25T08:36:27","modified_gmt":"2019-08-25T14:36:27","slug":"see-the-video-that-made-billy-ray-cyrus-a-star","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/music-news\/see-the-video-that-made-billy-ray-cyrus-a-star\/","title":{"rendered":"See the Video That Made Billy Ray Cyrus a Star"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span class=\"byline\">by <span class=\"author\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.cmt.com\/news\/author\/morrise\/\" title=\"Posts by Edward Morris\" rel=\"author\">Edward Morris<\/a><\/span> <span class=\"date\">8m ago<\/span><\/span> <\/p>\n<p>Painful though it may be, an achy breaky heart is not fatal. If it were, Billy Ray Cyrus wouldn\u2019t be parading down \u201cOld Town Road\u201d with Lil Nas X, as he is today on his 58th birthday.<\/p>\n<p>Cyrus was a rock star before anyone ever heard of him. To be more precise, he was depicted as a full-blown rock star in his first music video and \u2014 SHAZAM!!! \u2014 almost instantly he became one.<\/p>\n<div class=\"deferred_content\">Embedded from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/byQIPdHMpjc?feature=oembed\">www.youtube.com<\/a>. <noscript class=\"deferred_content\" data-deferred-info=\"{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;iframe&quot;}\"><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/byQIPdHMpjc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\">[embedded content]<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><\/noscript><\/div>\n<p>No doubt recalling the pulsating energy of Bruce Springsteen\u2019s \u201cDancing in the Dark\u201d video, director Marc Ball and the publicity folk at Mercury Records decided to introduce the newcomer to the world as though he was already as famous as he aspired to be.<\/p>\n<p>To that end, they staged the video at the Paramount Theater in Ashland, Kentucky, near Cyrus\u2019 hometown of Flatwoods. In the opening scene, Cyrus arrives at the front entrance of the venue in a black limousine and steps out into a cordon of cops and a throng of clamoring, adoring women. He\u2019s costumed in a long-sleeved red shirt, worn over a white T-shirt that\u2019s tucked into skintight jeans, and shod in white tennis shoes.<\/p>\n<div class=\"photo\" id=\"641110e8\">\n<div class=\"deferred_content\"><noscript class=\"deferred_content\" data-deferred-info=\"{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;img&quot;}\"><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/cmt.mtvnimages.com\/uri\/mgid:file:http:shared:cmt.com\/news\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/08\/Billy-Ray-Cyrus-tall-1566743577.jpg?quality=0.85&amp;format=jpg&amp;width=480\" srcset=\"http:\/\/cmt.mtvnimages.com\/uri\/mgid:file:http:shared:cmt.com\/news\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/08\/Billy-Ray-Cyrus-tall-1566743577.jpg?quality=0.8&amp;format=jpg&amp;width=481 481w, http:\/\/cmt.mtvnimages.com\/uri\/mgid:file:http:shared:cmt.com\/news\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/08\/Billy-Ray-Cyrus-tall-1566743577.jpg?quality=0.8&amp;format=jpg&amp;width=660 660w, http:\/\/cmt.mtvnimages.com\/uri\/mgid:file:http:shared:cmt.com\/news\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/08\/Billy-Ray-Cyrus-tall-1566743577.jpg?quality=0.8&amp;format=jpg&amp;width=768 768w, http:\/\/cmt.mtvnimages.com\/uri\/mgid:file:http:shared:cmt.com\/news\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/08\/Billy-Ray-Cyrus-tall-1566743577.jpg?quality=0.8&amp;format=jpg&amp;width=980 980w, http:\/\/cmt.mtvnimages.com\/uri\/mgid:file:http:shared:cmt.com\/news\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/08\/Billy-Ray-Cyrus-tall-1566743577.jpg?quality=0.8&amp;format=jpg&amp;width=1200 1200w, http:\/\/cmt.mtvnimages.com\/uri\/mgid:file:http:shared:cmt.com\/news\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/08\/Billy-Ray-Cyrus-tall-1566743577.jpg?quality=0.8&amp;format=jpg&amp;width=1500 1500w, http:\/\/cmt.mtvnimages.com\/uri\/mgid:file:http:shared:cmt.com\/news\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/08\/Billy-Ray-Cyrus-tall-1566743577.jpg?quality=0.8&amp;format=jpg&amp;width=1800 1800w\" title=\"Paul Natkin Archive\" class=\"js-srcset-img shortcode-image portrait p3x4\" alt><\/p>\n<p><\/noscript><\/div>\n<div class=\"photocredit\">Paul Natkin\/Wire Image<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>But the distinguishing feature is his soon-to-be distinctive mullet, short hair on top and the long hair tied back in a ponytail. In every detail, he was a sartorial reproach to the then-prevailing cowboy look affected by Garth Brooks, Clint Black, Alan Jackson, Ricky Van Shelton and lesser lights.<\/p>\n<p>The scene then shifts to him leaping onstage, strumming his acoustic guitar and dancing about fiendishly under stabbing overhead spotlights while the ladies out front dance and swoon to his every move. The continuity is not the best \u2014 sometimes he\u2019s wearing the guitar and sometimes he\u2019s not \u2014 but what the hell, he\u2019s rocking and the crowd seems to be experiencing a collective orgasm.<\/p>\n<div class=\"deferred_content\">Embedded from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/YDKHo4tjWjw?feature=oembed\">www.youtube.com<\/a>. <noscript class=\"deferred_content\" data-deferred-info=\"{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;iframe&quot;}\"><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/YDKHo4tjWjw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\">[embedded content]<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><\/noscript><\/div>\n<p>Once the video was released to CMT and The Nashville Network, Cyrus became the talk of Music Row. Not all the chatter was flattering. Most people agreed that the song itself was downright silly and no less a personage than rising star Travis Tritt scorned \u201cAchy Breaky Heart\u201d as \u201cshallow\u201d and wondered if country artists were henceforth going to have compete in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baltimoresun.com\/news\/bs-xpm-1993-05-21-1993141249-story.html\">\u201cass-wiggling\u201d contests<\/a> to be noticed.<\/p>\n<p>But the people loved the song, written by Don Von Tress. It entered the <em>Billboard<\/em> chart on April 4, 1992 and soon zoomed to No. 1 where it remained for five weeks, longer than any other record that year. On July 7, the single was certified platinum. The song went to No. 4 on the pop chart, won the Country Music Association\u2019s single of the year award, and the video topped CMT\u2019s 10 best list for 1992. There was even an \u201cAchy Breaky\u201d line dance created.<\/p>\n<div class=\"deferred_content\">Embedded from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/4pC1zOUuFIk?feature=oembed\">www.youtube.com<\/a>. <noscript class=\"deferred_content\" data-deferred-info=\"{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;iframe&quot;}\"><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/4pC1zOUuFIk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\">[embedded content]<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><\/noscript><\/div>\n<p><em>Some Gave All<\/em>, the album containing the song, sold nine millions units over the next four years.<\/p>\n<p>And the video certified Cyrus as a country heartthrob. In 1993, Dolly Parton featured him in her music video for \u201cRomeo.\u201d In the video, he is purred and panted over not only by Parton but also by Kathy Mattea, Mary Chapin Carpenter and Tanya Tucker. From a feminist point of view, it wasn\u2019t those ladies\u2019 finest hour; but Cyrus seemed to enjoy it.<\/p>\n<p>Sometimes, ass-wiggling is the best revenge.<\/p>\n<div class=\"author\">\n<div class=\"description\">Edward Morris is a veteran of country music journalism. He lives in Nashville, Tennessee, and is a frequent contributor to CMT.com.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.cmt.com\/news\/1810987\/see-the-video-that-made-billy-ray-cyrus-a-star\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: CMT News<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>by Edward Morris 8m ago Painful though it may be, an achy breaky heart is not fatal. If it were, Billy Ray Cyrus wouldn\u2019t be parading down \u201cOld Town Road\u201d with Lil Nas X, as he is today on his 58th birthday. Cyrus was a rock star before anyone ever heard of him. To be [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[55],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-17947","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-music-news"},"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-06-13 05:30:13","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KRKY Ski Country","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17947","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17947"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17947\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17947"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17947"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17947"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}