Biography

Destiny Hope Cyrus is born to country singer Billy Ray Cyrus and wife, Leticia (Tish) on November 23 1992, who call a 500-acre Nashville farm home. Her dad is a "recluse" at this point, pulling back from the aftereffects of his "Achy Breaky Heart" fame. Theirs is a full house, with Miley and five other kids. The smiling darling earns the nickname "Smiley," that with time gets shortened to "Miley." As Billy Ray's returns to showbiz with acting roles in the series Doc, Miley wants to follow suit, despite her father's efforts and painful rejections at auditions. "I'd see those little tears come down her face and I'd hold her and say, 'Enjoy being a kid. There is too much heartache to mess up your childhood,'" Billy Ray tells PEOPLE. But there's no keeping her down on the farm. "She kept stepping up to the plate, and danggone, the right opportunity came at the right time." Those steps include a guest spot on Doc, and a part in Tim Burton's Big Fish.

Miley, 13, wins the lead role in the new Disney series, Hannah Montana, after initially being rejected because she was "too small, too young". She plays an average teen with a double life as a famous pop singer, and Billy Ray is cast as her dad. "I feel like I can tell my dad anything," she tells PEOPLE. "When we come home, we forget that we even work together and just hang out." Hannah Montana becomes cable's most-watched show for kids ages 6 to 14. Its success continues in song with the Hannah Montana soundtrack album debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200, eventually going triple platinum. Miley's appeal is "charisma and a very winning personality that's easily conveyed by both television and live performance," says Billboard touring editor Ray Waddell. "She's totally non-threatening to parents and a must-see for her target audience."

Miley releases her follow-up album, Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus, which sells 1.1 million copies. In October, Miley embarks on a 54-date concert tour, and tickets are snapped up as fast as Billy Ray's footwork during his run on Dancing With the Stars. Some fans complain that the tickets are sold out before they get a shot, prompting at least four states attorneys general to launch investigations about ticket sales. The tour included the Jonas Brothers, they were also in Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best Of Both World Tour, whichis available for you to buy DVD.

PEOPLE reports Miley is dating Nick Jonas, 14, youngest member of the Jonas Brothers. With his brothers, Nick guest-stars in a ratings record-setting episode of Hannah Montana in August and tours with Cyrus. "Nick and I loved each other," Cyrus tells Seventeen in 2008 of their romance, which ended in late 2007. "For two years he was basically my 24/7." Miley Cyrus and Nick Jonas are still very close friends and do not have any problems with each other despite all the rumors.

Cyrus releases her latest single, "7 Things," off her upcoming album, Breakout. Cyrus, who wrote all but two of the songs on her "grown-up album, tells Ryan Seacrest that writing the song was an angry "little therapy moment for me." Adding to Billboard of the album, "It's more getting in depth of what's been going on in my life in the past year." When Breakout is released in July, it debuts at No. 1 on Billboard's 200 albums chart. After a while, Miley made a Platinum Edition CD for her debut album Breakout which included exclusive DVD that had performances of Miley.

Billy Ray and Miley appear on the cover of PEOPLE, where he discusses raising Miley so she doesn't follow the same path as former Disney stars Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan. "Everything is about keeping her grounded," his wife Tish tells PEOPLE. "I still threaten her with a wooden spoon to the butt!" In the Cyrus household, Miley is required to do chores, attend church each week with the family and gets grounded as punishment. With Hannah/Miley mania at full peak, PEOPLE dedicates an entire special issue to all things Cyrus. "Being onstage has always been my calling," the 15-year-old pop sensation tells PEOPLE. "It's just one of my favorite things to do." In addition to showing all the sides of Cyrus, the issue features her new look, new songs and new pictures (including old ones of Cyrus through the years).

Cyrus, 15, is seen out and about (including at church) with model Justin Gaston, 20. The two met when Gaston appeared as a contestant on Nashville Star, hosted by Billy Ray�who gives the young pair his blessing. Calling their relationship "a good thing," Billy Ray tells PEOPLE, "Justin's a good friend. A good friend of the family." Miley and Justin being a couple was confirmed. They were seen dating and going out together all the time. Miley says age doesn't matter, since Justin is 4 years older than Miley.

Hannah Montana: The Movie is released all over cinemas on April 10 and is very successful. The movie included lots of famous singers/actors like Vanessa Williams, Taylor Swift, and even Rascal Flatts. Hannah Montana: The Movie rakes in $34 million to top the box office. Cyrus, who calls the film "very clever," tells PEOPLE she's happy fans have embraced her as Miley. "It's just an honor for people to be able to relate to me and my music�and not so much the character anymore," she says. "I can't be Hannah Montana forever. I have to have something after this."