On a Serious Note

Billy Ray Cyrus performs in Glendale and Lancaster this weekend, but it’s not his first visit to the San Fernando Valley area.

But more about that later.

Cyrus burst upon the national music scene in 1992 like few other performers. His recording of “Achy Breaky Heart” crossed over country music boundaries and became not only a major hit record, but a national dance phenomenon as well.

As a performer, Cyrus radiated a raw sexuality that had not been seen in country music circles since the early days of Elvis Presley. The talk about Cyrus concentrated as much on his striking good looks and gluteus maximus muscles as his singing. His first album, “Some Gave All,” was one of the best-selling CDs of the 1990s in any musical genre. It stayed 17 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard pop music charts, a record for a debut album. All told, Cyrus has sold more than 15 million records since 1992.

But despite the healthy record sales, he still has a hard time being taken seriously. And Cyrus seems out to prove there’s more to him than just a great pair of buns.

Earlier this year, Cyrus announced he had “adjusted” his music, his attitude and his appearance and let go of his past. He’s about to release his sixth CD, “Shot Full of Love,” which he describes as “completely different” from any other album he’s done.

Musically, I don’t hear much that’s different from the old Billy Ray Cyrus, but one has to question: With all those records sold, what does BRC (as his hard-core fans call him) have to apologize for?

“I haven’t apologized. I don’t have any idea what you mean,” said Cyrus, calling on his cell phone from his bus careening down the Bluegrass Parkway in his native Kentucky. “Everyone evolves.”

Indeed.

Born in 1961 in Flatwoods, Ky., Cyrus sang with his father’s gospel quartet and his mother’s bluegrass band before he started school. He listened to country artists such as Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard as well as such rock performers as Bob Seger, ZZ Top and Lynyrd Skynyrd. He began performing in local clubs when he was 19, and about 10 years later, in 1990, he was discovered by Mercury Records. In April 1992, he released “Some Gave All,” with the single “Achy Breaky Heart.”

“Some Gave All” means more to Cyrus than just the title of his first album.

“It’s a way of life, a philosophy,” Cyrus said. “If I do something, I give it my all.”

Cyrus publishes a newsletter, the Billy Ray Cyrus Spirit, for his fans. It’s full of stories and pictures of himself and his family, plus information about concert dates and merchandise sales.

Cyrus gives his time to a variety of fund-raisers. He works for Vietnam veteran and Native American causes. And his Billy Ray Cyrus Charities Foundation Inc. recently awarded more than $30,000 in grants to organizations dedicated to helping children. “It does a lot of good all across the country. I’m very proud of it,” Cyrus said. “It’s a dream come true.”

Cyrus’ concert at the Lancaster Performing Arts Center on Saturday night has sold out. But tickets are still available for Friday’s show at the Alex Theatre in Glendale.

Cyrus has been to the Valley before. He lived in Canoga Park and Van Nuys for two years in the mid-1980s. Seeking fame and fortune, he gigged by night and worked by day at Baby Toytown in Reseda, where he sold bassinets, prams and booties to young mothers. Later, he sang at the weekly Talent Nights at the Palomino in North Hollywood and sold Oldsmobiles to make ends meet until he decided to head to Nashville by way of Flatwoods.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

BE THERE

* Billy Ray Cyrus performs at 8 p.m. Friday at the Alex Theatre, 216 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale. $15-$75; (818) 243-2611.