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Billy Ray Cyrus Turns Rocker

Posted by Laura Monday on 07/08/2010
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Billy Ray Cyrus is part of the new Los Angeles superband, Brother Clyde. The band showcases Cyrus’ vocals, Samantha Maloney on drums, Jamie Miller and Dan Knight on guitars and Dave Henning on bass.
 
In addition to singing, Cyrus also produced the band's debut album and wrote or co-wrote almost all of the songs with a rock ‘n’ roll attitude.
 
"My emotions are so revealed on this record," he said. "When you compare the image of Billy Ray Cyrus these last five years compared to what I was living, this gives you a glimpse of the man behind the curtain. It wasn't the fairytale. This is real."
 
The idea for a superband came up in 2009 between Cyrus, songwriter Jeffrey Steele, Phil Vassar and Bad English frontman John Waite. However, because of busy schedules, it kept being put on hold. Then, when Cyrus was in Vancouver, B.C., shooting a film, he came across Morris Joseph Tancredi, a young musician who happened to be his driver. When Tancredi asked Cyrus what he had been doing lately musically, Cyrus played the first song he wrote for Brother Clyde called “Crawl,” which was inspired by the 2008 terrorist attack in Mumbai.
 
"It saddened and angered me so much," Billy Ray said. "All that blood, people crying ... I just cranked up my amp and played, 'You better crawl.' It came as ugly as it sounds.
 
After he played the song, Tancredi told Cyrus about some songs of his own songs, including “Lately,” which ended up being Brother Clyde’s first single.
 
The album also includes a duet with Dolly Parton called “The Right Time.”
 
"Dolly said she wanted to rock," Cyrus said. "She came to my studio, brought homemade corn, mashed potatoes and a spread of country cooking. We ate, played guitar for an hour ... then she just kicked ass. She became like Tina Turner! You could tell, she really wanted this."
 
Also on the album is a live cover of Johnny Cash’s “I Walk the Line,” recorded in 1998.
 
"What I've done with Brother Clyde is what I hoped I could do," Cyrus said. "Close one chapter and start a new one. It's a wonderful feeling to be able to say I can do what I want to do."
 
Brother Clyde will release their self-titled album on Aug. 10.
 
Source: The Boot