Billy Ray Cyrus is getting candid about his incredibly serious health scare, which nearly cost him everything. During a recent interview with “PEOPLE,” the country icon revealed that he survived a nearly-fatal bout of sepsis in 2024. According to him, he wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to sing again due to subsequent voice issues he faced. Fortunately, however, he’s been able to make a full recovery and get back to doing what he loves most.
“I don’t know exactly how it evolved,” he began, detailing the harrowing ordeal. “It was my worst nightmare. Two years before that, my mom had died in that hospital, on the very floor that I was on.”
Cyrus recalls his entire body being “swollen” at the peak of his illness. He was even told by hospital staff to get his “affairs in order,” as things weren’t looking good for him. Luckily, his situation took an unexpected turn for the better, a twist he can only attribute to God.
Billy Cyrus Opens Up About Health Battle
GettyThe Grammy-winner’s health battle didn’t end there, however. He was later diagnosed with vocal paralysis, marking yet another major obstacle to overcome. As for what helped him find the strength to keep fighting, he says it was some powerful lyrics written by none other than his own daughter, Noah.
“Noah’s got that one song, ‘Don’t Put It All on Me,'” he shared. “That honestly saved my life.”
Cyrus’ five-year-old grandson, Bear, also motivated him to keep going when times got tough. “In this very broken moment of my life, my little grandson Bear looked at me and said, ‘Try again.’ And up until that moment, he had never spoken to me at all. I wasn’t even sure if he knew my name,” he described. “In that moment, I thought, ‘He’s telling you something.’ Is it about love? Music? Somehow, I got to try again at both. So I’m learning to try again.”
Billy Ray Cyrus & Elizabeth Hurley
GettyHis partner, Elizabeth Hurley, provided him with the support and encouragement he needed to emerge stronger than ever. She even convinced him to appear on ‘The Masked Singer,” during which he performed in front of millions of viewers tuning in at home. Now, Cyrus says he’s proud of his voice and of how far he’s come.
“Elizabeth would say to me, ‘Do you understand your voice is coming back?'” he remembered. “She encouraged me to the point where she had me do ‘The Masked Singer.’ And she said, ‘You need to do it to challenge yourself.’ And I thought, ‘God, why is she so smart?'”
“I’m singing— I’ve been singing every day. I feel so good about my voice,” he noted. “This might be one of the better moments.”
