Billy Ray Cyrus has revealed he “almost died” after a terrifying battle with sepsis last year, leaving him unable to sing or speak as doctors fought to save his life.
The country star, best known for Achy Breaky Heart, spoke in a new interview ahead of his album The Hill, out June 16, describing the ordeal as the most frightening chapter of his life.
The 64-year-old said he was rushed in and out of hospital in 2024 as his condition worsened.
He admitted: “I got really sick and almost died,” adding his body was suffering from a “toxicity of some type” that left him dangerously unwell.
At one point, he said doctors warned him he could have died if the condition had burst.
During the ordeal, he turned to what he called a “prayer rock”, begging for a miracle as his health declined.
In a remarkable twist, he said surgeons later told him the infection had suddenly cleared before a final operation.
“It’s gone. It’s healed,” he recalled them saying, calling it a miracle after weeks of fear and pain.
The Butterfly Fly Away star said he also suffered temporary vocal paralysis, leaving him unable to perform.
He credited Noah Cyrus’s song Don’t Put It All On Me with helping his recovery, saying he played it “on repeat” for comfort, while his grandson Bear encouraged him simply to “try again”.
Billy Ray, who shares children with Miley Cyrus and Braison Cyrus with ex-wife Tish Cyrus, has recently been linked to Elizabeth Hurley.
He was previously married to Firerose, while Tish later wed Dominic Purcell.
The Hill marks a reflective new chapter for the star as he rebuilds his life and health after the scare.
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