54 Fun Facts About Miley Cyrus

What first and middle names was Miley Cyrus given at birth?

Destiny Hope: her father said she was 'destined to bring hope to the world', and the smiling baby's nickname, Smiley, was shortened to Miley.

In which Tennessee city was Miley Cyrus born in 1992?

Franklin: when she landed Hannah Montana, the whole family moved to Los Angeles so she could film the show.

Which country legend is Miley Cyrus's godmother?

Dolly Parton: when TIME named Cyrus among its 100 most influential people in 2014, Parton wrote her tribute, saying 'the girl can write'.

When she legally changed her name to Miley Ray Cyrus in 2008, whom did the middle name honour?

Her grandfather: Billy Ray has said people assume the Ray is for him, but she took it to honour his father, Ronald Ray Cyrus.

Miley Cyrus played a 1960s radical in which filmmaker's Amazon series Crisis in Six Scenes?

Woody Allen: he admitted he had 'regretted every second' since agreeing to make the series for Amazon.

Billy Ray Cyrus played her father on Hannah Montana. What was the character's name?

He was only asked to audition after his daughter had won the lead; the character is a retired country star who manages her career.

On Hannah Montana, what alias does Lilly Truscott adopt to hang out with Hannah?

Lola Luftnagle: in the pilot, Lilly sneaks into Hannah's dressing room after a concert and discovers Miley's secret.

What is the title of the Hannah Montana theme song, sung by Cyrus?

The Best of Both Worlds: the title also named her 2007–08 tour, which sold out so fast that 14 more dates were added.

What was Miley Cyrus's debut single under her own name, released in 2007?

See You Again: crossing over to the pop charts in early 2008, it introduced her to listeners well beyond the Hannah Montana audience.

Which actor voiced the title dog in Bolt (2008) and duetted with the voice of Penny on 'I Thought I Lost You'?

The song earned her a Golden Globe nomination at 16; she has since picked up two more in the same category.

Which singer performs 'Crazier' at the barn party in the 2009 Hannah Montana film?

Taylor Swift: the filmmakers asked her for a song 'perfect to fall in love to', so she sent 'Crazier' and offered to sing it on screen.

Which Cyrus song lost its Grammy nomination for not being written for its film?

The Climb: the soundtrack's label asked for its withdrawal, and the slot went to Karen O's 'All Is Love' from Where the Wild Things Are.

Which future star co-wrote 'Party in the U.S.A.' but initially decided not to record it?

Jessie J: she co-wrote it in her first big writing session after signing her deal, but felt it 'wasn't edgy enough' for her.

Which Black Eyed Peas hit kept 'Party in the U.S.A.' at number two when it debuted in 2009?

I Gotta Feeling: when Joe Biden's 2020 election win was called, crowds took to the streets singing 'Party in the U.S.A.', and Cyrus shared their videos.

Which photographer took the 2008 Vanity Fair shoot of a 15-year-old Cyrus that caused a media storm?

Annie Leibovitz: amid the uproar, an 'embarrassed' Cyrus released a statement apologising to her fans.

Miley Cyrus's 2010 film The Last Song was based on a novel by which author?

Nicholas Sparks: he wrote the story as a vehicle for Cyrus, working on the novel and the screenplay at the same time.

Which Poison song did Miley Cyrus cover on her 2010 album Can't Be Tamed?

Every Rose Has Its Thorn: Poison was the very first concert she ever saw, and she worked on the cover with singer Bret Michaels.

Miley Cyrus's notorious 2013 VMAs performance paired 'We Can't Stop' with 'Blurred Lines' alongside which singer?

Robin Thicke: within days of the show, she had sold 90,000 downloads of her new single, 'Wrecking Ball'.

Miley Cyrus's 'We Can't Stop' borrows its party chant from which 1985 hip-hop classic by Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick?

La Di Da Di: the borrowed line earned Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick songwriting credits on Cyrus's hit.

Which singer wrote Miley Cyrus a 2013 open letter after Cyrus said one of her videos inspired 'Wrecking Ball'?

Sinéad O'Connor: her 'Nothing Compares 2 U' video had inspired the look, but she warned Cyrus not to let the music business exploit her.

Who directed the 'Wrecking Ball' music video, complete with sledgehammer-licking?

Terry Richardson: Cyrus later said she'll still sing the song but doesn't love it, and will 'never live down' licking the sledgehammer.

Which song ruled the Hot 100 for nine weeks before 'Wrecking Ball' swung back to number one in 2013?

Royals: a viral parody video of 'Wrecking Ball' sent its streams soaring and pushed Cyrus back past Lorde.

How did Cyrus make her entrance each night on the 2014 Bangerz Tour?

Sliding down a giant tongue: the tour's Santo Domingo show was banned by the Dominican government on moral grounds.

Who accepted Cyrus's 2014 VMA for Video of the Year on stage on her behalf?

A homeless young man: Jesse Helt used the speech to stand up for 'the 1.6 million runaways and homeless youth' in the United States.

In 2013 Cyrus hired manager Larry Rudolph, best known for guiding which other pop star's career?

Britney Spears: Britney's mother, a family friend, first asked Rudolph what he thought of her daughter's singing, and he went on to land the teenager a label deal.

Which psychedelic band made the surprise 2015 album Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz with her?

She announced it during her stint hosting the 2015 VMAs and put it up for free streaming; Elton John called the collaboration the kind of leftfield thing that 'would have happened during the '60s'.

Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz streamed free on which platform right after the 2015 VMAs?

SoundCloud: she released it right after closing the 2015 VMAs she hosted with a surprise performance of its opening song, 'Dooo It!'

Which singer joined Miley Cyrus as a new coach on The Voice for season 11 in 2016?

Alicia Keys: both had first advised contestants on the show, Keys for Pharrell's team in season 7 and Cyrus for every team in season 10.

Which lead single from Miley Cyrus's 2017 album Younger Now is named after a California beach city?

Malibu: she said she had given up smoking weed weeks before releasing it, as she moved toward 'gimmick-free' pop-rock.

Which producer released 'Nothing Breaks Like a Heart' in 2018 with Miley Cyrus on vocals?

Mark Ronson: months before its release, the pair teased on social media that they were making 'heartbreaking tunes' together.

In her 2019 Black Mirror episode, Cyrus plays a pop star named what?

Ashley O: her bubblegum hit 'On a Roll' is a stealth rework of Nine Inch Nails' 'Head Like a Hole', approved by Trent Reznor.

The Stevie Nicks remix of 'Midnight Sky' mashed it up with which of her classics?

Edge of Seventeen: Cyrus had asked Nicks for her blessing to borrow from it, and Nicks told her she could 'borrow from me anytime'.

Which supermodel fights Hannah over a pair of designer shoes in the 2009 Hannah Montana film?

Tyra Banks: when the fight makes headlines, her father tricks her into a trip home to Tennessee for a dose of reality.

After leaving RCA, Miley Cyrus signed with which label in March 2021?

Columbia Records: it is RCA's sister label under Sony Music, and its chief Ron Perry personally courted her.

A 2024 lawsuit claimed Miley Cyrus's 'Flowers' copied which Bruno Mars song?

When I Was Your Man: the suit came from a company that owns a share of the song's rights, and Mars himself was not part of it.

Miley Cyrus sings on 'Am I Dreaming', from which rapper's 2021 debut album?

Lil Nas X: two years earlier, she had brought him and her father onstage at Glastonbury to perform 'Old Town Road'.

In which city did Miley Cyrus tell her father she wanted to act, while he was filming Doc?

Toronto: she went on to land small roles in Doc herself, including a girl named Kylie.

Which of the Grammys' four biggest awards did Miley Cyrus win in 2024?

Record of the Year: while performing 'Flowers' that night, she teased the star-studded crowd, 'Why are you acting like you don't know this song?'

What are the two halves of Endless Summer Vacation's tracklist called?

AM and PM: on release day she also put out a filmed Backyard Sessions special, performing songs from the album.

Cyrus won her third Grammy in 2025 for 'II Most Wanted', a duet with which star?

Beyoncé: Cyrus had written the song about two and a half years earlier and thought of it as soon as Beyoncé reached out about music.

In 2024, aged 31, Cyrus became the youngest person ever to receive which honour?

Disney Legends award: it honoured the star of Hannah Montana, a role executives had first turned her down for as too small and too young.

Miley Cyrus teamed with Elton John and Yo-Yo Ma on a 2021 cover for which metal band's tribute album?

Metallica: she had already sung their 'Nothing Else Matters' on stage at Glastonbury in 2019.

Cyrus's charity, founded in 2014 for LGBTQ and other vulnerable young people, was set up under what name?

Happy Hippie: in 2024 she said she was renaming it the Miley Cyrus Foundation so it could host more adult conversations.

Miley Cyrus relaunched her Backyard Sessions in 2015 as charity videos debuting exclusively on which platform?

Facebook: each video carried a Donate button for her new foundation, and the first paired her with Joan Jett on 'Different'.

Which 2009 tour was Miley Cyrus's first to play concerts outside North America?

Wonder World: after scalpers resold seats for her previous tour at huge markups, its North American dates used paperless tickets to keep seats at face value.

Which Saturday Night Live star co-hosted Miley's New Year's Eve Party with her from Miami?

Pete Davidson: the Lorne Michaels-produced special effectively replaced NBC's New Year's Eve show fronted by Carson Daly since 2004.

Which band opened for Miley Cyrus on her first headlining tour, in 2007–08?

Jonas Brothers: they also played a couple of songs mid-show while Cyrus changed from Hannah Montana into herself.

Which group did Miley Cyrus open for on tour in 2006?

The Cheetah Girls: she opened for them in character as Hannah Montana, and a year later she was headlining her own arena tour.

Which food did Miley Cyrus reintroduce after years as a vegan?

Fish: she told Joe Rogan she needed fish and omegas because her brain 'wasn't functioning properly'.

Which Tim Burton film gave a young Miley Cyrus one of her first screen roles?

Big Fish: soon afterwards she beat more than 1,000 hopefuls to win the lead role in Hannah Montana.

Cyrus was dropped as the voice of Mavis in Hotel Transylvania and replaced by whom?

Selena Gomez: reports at the time said Cyrus had left the film, but in 2019 she said she had been kicked off over a lewd birthday cake.

Which of Cyrus's siblings was a vocalist and guitarist in the band Metro Station?

Trace: he met Mason Musso, brother of Hannah Montana co-star Mitchel Musso, on the show's set, and the pair started Metro Station.

Cyrus sang which Metallica ballad on The Metallica Blacklist, backed by Elton John on piano and Yo-Yo Ma on cello?

Nothing Else Matters: the album's proceeds were split between Metallica's All Within My Hands foundation and charities chosen by the artists.

Which Cranberries song did Miley Cyrus cover live for the 2020 Save Our Stages festival?

Zombie: she played it at the Whisky a Go Go to raise money for music venues hit by the pandemic, and the live take went on her album Plastic Hearts.