Fans React to Trace Cyrus’ Plea to Dad Billy Ray Cyrus

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Billy Ray Cyrus might have stolen the spotlight at the Liberty Ball during President Donald Trump’s inauguration with his unexpected a cappella performances, but it’s his son, Trace Cyrus, who’s making headlines now.

For those who missed it, the 63-year-old “Achy Breaky Heart” singer faced multiple technical difficulties while on stage. His guitar cut out, leading Billy Ray to ask the stage crew, “Is my guitar still on?” before adding, “I think they cut me off. I don’t hear my guitar anymore.”

Despite the issues, the country star pushed forward, quipping to the crowd, “Y’all want me to sing more, or you just want me to get the hell off the stage?”

Billy Ray appeared to brush off the mishap, but Trace, the adopted son of the Hannah Montana star and his ex-wife Tish Cyrus, had a different reaction.

On Wednesday, January 22, the 35-year-old Metro Station vocalist shared a heartfelt open letter on Instagram, expressing concern for his father’s well-being.

“Sadly the man that I wanted so desperately to be just like I barely recognize now,” Trace wrote alongside a throwback photo of the two performing.

The Already Lucky actor also revealed that he and his siblings have been worried about their dad for years. “Noah desperately has wanted you to be a part of her life and you haven’t even been there for her,” he added. “We are all hanging on to memories of the man we once knew & hoping for the day he returns.”

Although Trace turned off comments on his Instagram post, fans quickly weighed in on X (formerly Twitter).

“My heart hurts for Noah because i get what shes going through hoping if you hang on long enough that theyll get better. But she needs to let him go for him to heal with whatever it is he has going on😭,” one person wrote.

“That is heartbreaking. Normally I don’t think this should be posted, but maybe it’s the only way to get his dad’s attention. Maybe it will help,” said another.

“And he was loving and caring not only about his family but his fans to smh idk this is just me personally but I think something happened to him or something snapped inside of him to where he just couldn’t take it no more and he just let it all go sad but true I think,” chimed in a third.

Another user wondered, “Who calls their dad out on social media?” prompting the response, “Someone whose dad just had an embarrassing public performance.”

Billy Ray hasn’t publicly responded to his son’s post, but he did share his thoughts about the performance on Instagram. “I wouldn’t have missed the honor of playing this event whether my microphone, guitar and monitors worked or not,” he wrote on Tuesday, January 21.

He went on to explain his “show must go on” attitude, saying, “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.”

Wrapping up his post, Billy Ray said, “I was there for the people and we had a blast. That’s called rock n roll!!!”

In addition to Trace, Billy Ray is dad to Brandi, 37, Miley, 32, Braison, 30, and Noah, 25. Like her brother Trace, Brandi was adopted by Billy Ray after his 1993 marriage to Tish, 57 (which ended in 2022). He also shares Christopher, 32, with ex-girlfriend Kristin Luckey.

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