Billy Ray Cyrus has spoke about after he faced backlash for performing at Donald Trump's second inauguration.
The country singer joined the likes of Carrie Underwood, Village People and Nelly in giving performances to mark Trump's return to the White House. Billy's performance didn't go as smooth sailing as he might have hoped as it was plagued by technical difficulties. He ended up performing Old Town Road without proper equipment.
Struggling with the issues, he tried singing a cappella but was overheard asking the crew if his guitar was working. He asked: "Is my guitar still on? I think they cut me off. I don't hear my guitar anymore." Frustrated by the ongoing problems, he told the audience: "Y'all want me to sing more or you just want me to get the hell off the stage? I don't give a damn."
Viewers branded the performance a "trainwreck" and "embarrassing". Billy decided to speak out on the backlash as he said: "I wouldn’t have missed the honor of playing this event whether my microphone, guitar and monitors worked or not." He added to People: "I was there because President Donald J. Trump invited me.
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Getty Images)"I had a ball at the Liberty Ball last night and I’ve learned through all these years when the producer says: 'You’re on,' you go entertain the folks even if the equipment goes to hell." The singer defiantly branded the situation "rock n roll" and insisted he had a "blast" despite the issues.
Carrie Underwood also faced technical difficulties when her backing track failed, forcing her to sing without music. Last year, the Achy Breaky Heart singer performed at the funeral of Corey Comperatore, a man shot and killed at a Donald Trump rally. The 76-year-old presidential candidate was also injured during the rally when Thomas Matthew Crooks attacked him in Pennsylvania.
Billy performed hymn Amazing Grace as well as his own song Some Gave All. The singer decided to perform at Trump's second inauguration despite once mocking his daughter Miley Cyrus. She supported Vice President Kamala Harris in the November 2024 election and previously branded Trump a "racist, sexist, hateful a**hole".
Last summer, Trump shaded Miley at a rally that Billy happened to be at. "Billy Ray Cyrus is here. Where is Billy Ray? He's around here someplace, and he's great,” Trump said at the event. "He's a conservative guy. I said, 'How did you get such a liberal daughter? How had that happened, Billy Ray?'"
The once close daddy-daughter duo's relationship went downhill when Miley's mum Trish and Billy split. They had been married for almost 30 years and it has been reported Miley took her mum's side. Their relationship became even more strained when Billy moved on and married Australian singer Firerose, who’s 25 years younger than him.
Billy and Firerose split just seven months later amid an audio leaking that saw him brand Miley a “devil” and a “skank.” It was reported in November that Miley and Billy’s relationship was severed and she intended to never speak to him ever again.
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