LivingtheDream_COVER 4/8/08 8:20 AM Page 1 Get the scoop on the girl behind that world-famous smile in Living the Dream, the first backstage look at Miley Cyrus and Hannah Montana. From Tennessean cheerleader to Oscar presenter, Miley’s story is all captured here: her life before Hannah, her albums (and Hannah’s too), the Best of Both Worlds tour, the upcoming Hannah Montana movie, and a month-by-month look at Miley’s meteoric rise to superstardom. Featuring tons of full-color photos of Miley and her friends and family (some never published before!), plus bios of Billy Ray Cyrus (“Robby Ray”), Jason Earles (“Jackson”), Emily Osment (“Lilly”), Mitchel Musso (“Oliver”) and more, Living the Dream also includes a Hannah Montana episode guide full of fun facts and bloopers! Sweet niblets! THE UNOFFICIAL STORY T H E U N O F F IC IA L S T O R Y ISBN-13: 978-1-55022-848-9 ISBN-10: 1-55022-848-X ECW Press $14.95 ecwpress.com/hannahmiley ECW Trim Size: 8 x 10” Spine Size: .28125” LivingtheDream_COVER 4/8/08 8:20 AM Page 1 Get the scoop on the girl behind that world-famous smile in Living the Dream, the first backstage look at Miley Cyrus and Hannah Montana. From Tennessean cheerleader to Oscar presenter, Miley’s story is all captured here: her life before Hannah, her albums (and Hannah’s too), the Best of Both Worlds tour, the upcoming Hannah Montana movie, and a month-by-month look at Miley’s meteoric rise to superstardom. Featuring tons of full-color photos of Miley and her friends and family (some never published before!), plus bios of Billy Ray Cyrus (“Robby Ray”), Jason Earles (“Jackson”), Emily Osment (“Lilly”), Mitchel Musso (“Oliver”) and more, Living the Dream also includes a Hannah Montana episode guide full of fun facts and bloopers! Sweet niblets! THE UNOFFICIAL STORY T H E U N O F F IC IA L S T O R Y ISBN-13: 978-1-55022-848-9 ISBN-10: 1-55022-848-X ECW Press $14.95 ecwpress.com/hannahmiley ECW Trim Size: 8 x 10” Spine Size: .28125” 00_LivingtheDream_TEXTFinal 3/28/08 3:11 PM Page 1 THE UNOFFICIAL STORY ECW PRESS 00_LivingtheDream_TEXTFinal 4/2/08 6:51 PM Page 2 Copyright © ECW Press, Published by ECW Press,Queen Street East,Suite ,Toronto,Ontario,Canada .. ⁄[email protected] All rights reserved.No part ofthis publication may be reproduced,stored in a retrieval system,or transmitted in any form byany process — electronic,mechanical,photocopying,recording,or otherwise — without the prior written permission ofthe copyright owners and ECW Press. Living the Dream: Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus,The Unofficial Storyis not authorized or endorsed by Miley Cyrus,her management,the Disney Channel or the Disney-ABC Television Group. Hannah Montanaand its characters are all copyright Disney. Janic,Susan Living the dream:Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus,the unofficial story / Susan Janic. ---- .Cyrus,Miley,–—Juvenile literature..Singers —United States —Biography —Juvenile literature. .Actresses —United States —Biography —Juvenile literature..Hannah Montana (Television program)..Title. . . -- Courtesy PicturePerfect/The Canadian Press:;Harris McClary/Retna:;Marissa Roth/Retna:(right),;Bob D’Amico/© Disney/Courtesy Everett Collection/The Canadian Press:, , , , ;©DisneyChannel/Courtesy Everett Collection/The Canadian Press:, , , ;AP Photo/Jennifer Graylock:;Jon McKee Photo/Retna:;© PA Photos Limited/The Canadian Press:;Alex Blasquez/Retna:;Jody Cortes/Shooting Star:, ;Mary Leahy:, , , , , , ;AP Photo/Mark Humphrey:;Carol Kaelson/© ABC/Courtesy Everett Collection/The Canadian Press:;Sthanlee Mirador/Shooting Star:, , , ;Ron Galella/WireImage:;Tony DiMaio/Shooting Star:, , ;AP Photo/Universal Family Entertainment:;Sue Schneider/MGP Agency:, , , , , ;Christopher Voelker/Shooting Star:;Christina Radish:, , ;AP Photo/Chris Pizzello:, ;Peter Brooker/Rex Features/The Canadian Press:;Mark Sullivan/WireImage:;AP Photo/Amanda Parks:; Rena Durham/Retna:;Ida Mae Astute/© ABC/Courtesy Everett Collection/The Canadian Press:, ;AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack/The Canadian Press:;George Taylor/Everett Collection/The Canadian Press:;AP Photo/JeffChristensen/The Canadian Press:;Kristin Callahan/Everett Collection/The Canadian Press:;Adam Orchon/Everett Collection/The Canadian Press:;John Medina/WireImage:;Jay Blakesberg:, , ;Jim Watson:(left),(second row right,bottom left photos); Jennifer H:(right),, , (bottom left corner),, ;Corrin Marie:(top row,second row left);Dara Kushner/INFGoff.com/The Canadian Press:;Sebastian Artz/Retna:;Grant/X17online.com/The Canadian Press:;Marc Morrison/Retna:;Yoram Kahana/Shooting Star:;Gregg DeGuire/WireImage:;AP Photo/Jason DeCrow/The Canadian Press:;AP Photo/Mark Duncan:;AP Photo/Chitose Suzuki:(left);Jose Perez/INFGoff.com/The Canadian Press:(right); Cristopher McRae:;Camera Press/Retna:;Patsy Lynch/Rex Features/The Canadian Press:;George Taylor/Everett Collection/The Canadian Press:;Devan/INFphoto.com/The Canadian Press:;© Lionel Hahn/ABACAUSA.com/The Canadian Press:;Hugh Thompson/Rex Features/The Canadian Press:;AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian:;Michael Germana/Everett Collection/The Canadian Press:;Tony Rivetti/© Disney Channel/Courtesy Everett Collection/The Canadian Press:;Alexandra Wyman/WireImage:;Michael Desmond/© Disney Channel/Courtesy Everett Collection/The Canadian Press:;Joel Warren/© Disney Channel/Courtesy Everett Collection/The Canadian Press:, , , , , Editor:Jennifer Hale Cover,text design,and production:Tania Craan CoverImages:AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes (Hannah) and The Canadian Press/Kimberly P.Mitchell/Detroit Free Press/MCT/Abacapress.com (Miley) Printing:Transcontinental The publicationofLiving the Dream has beengenerously supported by the Government ofCanada throughthe Book Publishing Industry Development Program (BPIDP). 00_LivingtheDream_TEXTFinal 3/28/08 3:11 PM Page 3 INTRODUCTION What is it that makes a phenomenon? What are the key ingredients that result in the per- fect storm ofcircumstances to result in a pop culture sensation? It’s a difficult question that could only be answered with uncertainty or else everythingwould be a phenomenon. But actress/singer Miley Cyrus is that perfect storm.Or maybe it’s her dual on-screen Disney Channel personas of Miley Stewart and Hannah Montana.The bottom line is that the stars aligned in such a way that Miley,the daughter of country singer Billy Ray Cyrus, persisted in auditioning for the Hannah Montana role,and was consistently turned away but nonetheless kept picking herselfup,dusting herselfoffand trying again.And obviously that persistence paid off.Miley was cast — as a pop superstar who is trying to balance her celebrity with a normal life,thus living a secret identity along the lines of Clark Kent and Superman — and instantlyconnected with the television audience,which turned the char- acter and Miley herself into a sensation. And since that debut there have been CDs that have sold in the millions, fashion and book lines,best-selling DVDs,a concert tour that sold out literally within seconds oftickets going onsale (with one woman going so far as to spend $13,000 on a set offour tickets!),a 3D concert film and a full-length feature film. What’s most impressive about all of this is the fact that Miley seems so incredibly unaffected by it all. Miley has often expressed her amazement at the speed at which everything has changed,though she has been sure to emphasize that she’s still the same person,and that her family dynamic has remained the same.They still go to church as a familyevery Sunday and hang out together as often as they can.On a personal level,she’s filled with inner contentment over the fact that she’s finally accomplished her dreams, though at a considerably faster rate than she ever expected. Well, if the past year is any indication, things are only going to get faster and more intense. But Miley,surrounded by her friends and family,has given every indication that she’llbeable tohandle everything that comes her way in a style that’s all her own.It’s what being a phenomenon is all about. Susan Janic December 00_LivingtheDream_TEXTFinal 3/28/08 3:11 PM Page 4 01_LivingtheDream_TEXTFinal 3/28/08 3:08 PM Page 5 “I knew that I loved the entertainment business enough to keep acting and singing for the rest of my life.” 01_LivingtheDream_TEXTFinal 3/28/08 3:08 PM Page 6 Miley (far right), her brothers and mom join Billy Ray Cyrus on stage during a Fan Fair fan club party at their home in June 2001 With a name like Destiny Hope, it was been smiling,” offers Billy Ray in explana- inevitable that the girl the world would tion.“As a little baby,she just had that smile come to know as Hannah Montana would on her face and as you talk to a little baby, ultimately be fated for show business great- it’s,like,‘Oh,she’s smiling,’and all ofa sud- ness.It also didn’t hurt that her father was den she became Smiley.” country singer Billy Ray Cyrus,he of“Achy “My dad made all these cute poems and Breaky Heart”fame. all of these things about saying when I was Born on November , , in ababy,I used to smile all the time.He used Nashville, Tennessee, to Billy Ray and his to do this baby talk or whatever and he wife Leticia “Tish” Cyrus, Miley was given started dropping letters every now and the moniker Destiny Hope out of sheer then,which is how he went from ‘Oh,she’s optimism:her parents felt that she was gen- smilin’ to Miley. And by the time I started uinely destined for great things. Growing grade school, my mom suggested they up, she was also given the nickname shorten it to Miley so it wouldn’t be embar- “Smiley” by her parents.“She’s just always rassing.I could imagine being fifteen years 6 01_LivingtheDream_TEXTFinal 3/28/08 3:08 PM Page 7 old and my dad would be picking me up at Over the years,Miley has pointed out that school and be yelling, ‘Hey, Smiley Miley, herfaith and values were instilled in her at get in the car.’So my mom had a point.My a young age, and that family is one of the grandma is the only one who still calls me most important things to her. Destiny Hope, but my mom and dad love Mileydiscovered her desire to be part of the name Miley and it stuck with me.” the entertainment world at a very young Growing up, Miley found herself in a age, largely because even as a toddler she loving family environment — and what a became absolutely mesmerized by the family it was. Besides her parents, there response her father got every time he took was her older half-brother Christopher, to the stage.By the age of two or three,she fromaprevious relationship Billy Ray had could sense the magic there; a connection been in; older half-sister Brandi and half- between the man she called Dad and the brother Trace from a previous relationship audience that was calling out his name. of Leticia’s; younger brother Braison “Having a famous dad was kind of Chance and younger sister Noah Lindsey. cool,” she smiles. “That’s where I got the 7 01_LivingtheDream_TEXTFinal 4/3/08 4:47 PM Page 8 Eight-year-old Miley and actress Sarain Boylan “She would always escape,” he clarifies. goof around on the set of Doc “IfI was up on stage,singing,performing,if she broke free,she was coming out and get- ting a hold of that microphone.” idea that I wantedto sing and act,because I Remembers Miley,“It was an Elvis trib- sang onstage with him. If it wasn’t for my ute and there were all ofthese legends there. dad, I never would have discovered that I And my nanny — bless her,I have no idea love it. I was singing on the stage with my how she did this — let me escape.I kicked dad when I was two. I would sing ‘Hound and ran and I went up there and grabbed Dog’and silly songs for the fun of it.” the microphone and started singing. And “When she was three,”Billy Ray says,“I they started passing me around. It was so would be on stage and she was supposed to much fun that I would escape whenever I be off to the side ...” could to try and grab the microphone.” Mileyinterjects,“He says I escaped from Yet while she was trying to hog the my nanny.Occasionally.” spotlight,she also did her best to hide the 8
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