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Billy Ray Cyrus has every reason to celebrate with his new album The Hill, out June 16 – but before he reached that point, there were other hills to climb, including a serious health crisis. In a new interview he revealed, that he suffered a near-fatal bout of sepsis in 2024. The crisis subsequently led to the diagnosis of temporary vocal paralysis.
Speaking to People, Cyrus left many details open, but confirmed that he faced the condition in 2024 and lost his voice as a result. He described the time as “a very broken moment in my life.” He called his recovery a “miracle” and thanked his grandson Bear – Braison Cyrus’ five-year-old son – for showing him the light during this dark period.
“My little grandson Bear looked at me and said, ‘Try again.’ Until that moment he had never spoken to me. I wasn’t even sure if he knew my name. At that moment I thought, ‘He’s telling you something.’ Is it about love? About music? Somehow I get to try both again. So I’m learning to try again.”
Turbulent years
Sepsis struck the “Achy Breaky Heart” singer two years after he and Tish Cyrus filed for divorce after 28 years of marriage. Cyrus then married singer Firerose, but the couple separated in 2024 due to irreconcilable differences. In 2025, Billy Ray met English actress Elizabeth Hurley and made their relationship public that same year. Tish married Dominic Purcell in 2023.
Cyrus’ upcoming album The Hill arrives June 16 – the singer-songwriter’s first album of new material in over a decade. Braison Cyrus is credited as producer and songwriter on several songs on the album. “On Our Way Along,” a duet with his daughter Noah, was released in April.