Why We're Worried About Billy Ray Cyrus

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Ahead of the 2025 presidential inauguration, there was a lot of noise surrounding Carrie Underwood's decision to sing for Donald Trump. It wasn't her performance that ended up creating a huge buzz, though, but rather Billy Ray Cyrus'. The country music veteran went viral following his troubled production at Trump's Liberty Ball on January 20, where he served as one of the headlining acts. While taking the stage at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, shortly after Trump's swearing-in, Cyrus treated the crowd to his signature hits like "Achy Breaky Heart" and "Old Town Road." However, his performance was overshadowed by technical difficulties, leaving him visibly upset and agitated. "Is my guitar still on? I think they cut me off. I don't hear my guitar anymore," he said at one point. As silence from the crew continued, Cyrus snapped, "Is anyone awake?"

[https://youtu.be/EnUhCxhpavU?si=Ts0BRGrwDhHecZtn]

Later, Cyrus confronted the crew members, asking if they still wanted him to keep singing or get off the stage. When finally a technician approached to fix the issue, he referenced Trump, saying, "When you have technical difficulties you got to just keep going — or as President Trump would say, you got to fight!" It wasn't just the technical issues that caught everyone's attention, either. Cyrus' voice also sounded hoarse, and he was accused of lip-synching to his songs. His behavior also seemed bizarre throughout the set, causing widespread concern. "Is @billyraycyrus okay ? That's worrisome," one user wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "What is Billy Ray Cyrus doing? Seriously wtf?" another wrote. 

Unfortunately, it wasn't just Billy Ray Cyrus' disastrous performance that raised eyebrows. Fans were also concerned by his appearance after he attended Donald Trump's MAGA victory rally at Capital One Arena on the eve of his inauguration. A snap of Cyrus next to Senator Marsha Blackburn, in particular, drew plenty of reactions. "It's hard to find someone with worse hair than Senator Marsha Blackburn, but alas ... there's Billy Ray Cyrus," one X user remarked. Others couldn't recognize the musician with his current look. "That does not look like Billy Ray," a second netizen added. Meanwhile, some speculated that Cyrus was going through a midlife crisis, hence the makeover. "Something going on with him," a third user suggested. "There's a reason he doesn't want us seeing his face and how skinny he is." 

Ahead of his performance at the Liberty Ball, Cyrus shared his excitement about performing for President Donald Trump in an Instagram post. "Let's have a ball! #LibertyBall," he wrote alongside a photo of himself sitting by the window with his guitar just hours before taking the stage. The guitarist also uploaded a snapshot from his soundcheck at Trump's victory rally on January 19. "This house is ready to rock with @realdonaldtrump!" he captioned the photo.

Despite the controversy surrounding his Liberty Ball performance, Cyrus remained unfazed. He even posted a pic from his viral set and a backstage image with Trump, expressing his gratitude. "Honored to kick off the Liberty Ball at the request of our 47th President and Commander-in-Chief," Cyrus wrote. "When you get knocked down, you get back up. You fight and persevere."