Country music icon Cyrus was diagnosed with vocal cord paralysis in 2024 after a near-fatal bout of sepsis, she revealed in a new interview with People magazine.
Billy Ray Cyrus and Firerose divorce after 7 months of marriage
Billy Ray Cyrus filed for divorce from Firerose just seven months after their marriage.
Unbranded – Entertainment
Billy Ray Cyrus’ return to music isn’t just a return to Hollywood, it’s a second chance at life.
The country music icon, who is gearing up to release his first new album in seven years, opened up about his recent health struggles in an interview with People magazine on Wednesday, June 10th.
The “Achy Breaky Heart” singer, 64, was diagnosed with vocal cord paralysis in 2024 after being hospitalized with near-fatal sepsis.
“I don’t know exactly how it evolved. It was my worst nightmare,” Cyrus told the outlet. “Two years before that, my mother passed away at that hospital, on the floor I was on.”
According to the Cleveland Clinic and Mayo Clinic, sepsis is a life-threatening condition that occurs when a person’s immune system responds inappropriately to an infection, damaging healthy tissues and organs.
If not treated quickly, the disease can lead to organ failure and death, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Dr. James Morrison, chair of the clinic’s Corporate Sepsis Steering Committee, previously told USA TODAY that sepsis is the “leading cause of in-hospital mortality.”
Cyrus said her entire body was “swollen” and at one point her medical team told her to “get her body together.” However, the Grammy-winning singer later said he had made a full recovery, describing his return to health as a “miracle.”
Cyrus, the father of pop singers Miley Cyrus and Noah Cyrus, credits his family with helping him recover.
“At a very overwhelming moment in my life, my little grandson Bear (Brazon Cyrus’ son) looked at me and said, ‘Try again,'” Silas recalled. “And until that moment, he had never spoken to me at all. I didn’t even know if he knew my name.
“At that moment I thought, ‘He’s saying something.’ Is it about love? Music? Somehow I had to try again with both. So I’m learning to try again.”
The singer-songwriter also credited his girlfriend, actress and model Elizabeth Hurley, with facilitating his musical recovery. Cyrus, who was previously married to Tish Cyrus and Firerose, revealed her romance with Harley in April 2025.
“Elizabeth would say to me, ‘Can you hear your voice coming back?'” Silas said. “She even encouraged me to do ‘The Masked Singer,’ and she said, ‘You need to do that to challenge yourself.’ And I thought, ‘God, why is she so smart? ”
Cyrus’ new album, The Hill, is scheduled for release on June 16th.
“I sing. I sing every day. I feel like my voice is great,” Cyrus said. “This might be one of the best moments.”
Contributors: Sara Moniuszko and Daryl Austin, USA TODAY
