Autobiography of Miley Cyrus: I Didn't Think I Was Beautiful

Miley Cyrus certainly appears to have found the middle world between the sky and the earth – a career as an entertainer as well as a warm family life. The daughter of country star Billy Ray Cyrus, whose folksy wisdom uplifts Miley and the entire Cyrus family, Miley Cyrus has found a balance that seems beyond attainment for a teenager.

But Miley’s seemingly ideal career hasn’t been without serious incident. While on the “Best of Both Worlds” tour in St. Louis during 2008, Miley began feeling so ill that she had to see a doctor. While doing an echocardiogram, the doctor found a hole in her heart! This condition caused a racing heart rate or, in medical terms, tachycardia. Miley claimed the condition wasn’t serious, but she had to slow down a little, assuming such a regimen would be possible with her ultra-busy schedule.

Ups and downs notwithstanding, Miley reminds one of the so-called Queen of Country Music, Dolly Parton, who, when she first started making movies, told the director she’d do just about anything except cuss or make fun of Jesus. Given Miley’s religious beliefs and good-girl image, one could envision Miley saying something similar.

(All of the quotes in this article are taken from Miley Cyrus’ autobiography, Miles to Go, co-written by Hilary Liftin, published in March 2009, copyright by Smiley Miley, Inc.)

Born Destiny Hope Cyrus on November 23, 1992 (legally changing her name to Miley Ray Cyrus early in 2008), Miley grew up on a 500-acre farm near Franklin, Tennessee. She loved this simple, old-fashioned country life, interacting with her five brothers and sisters and attending a Christian church regularly. To many people this farm life may seem idyllic. These days, unfortunately, most people in the U.S. have moved into the cities, so they can’t experience such a life.

While Miley grew up, her father had many entertainers come visit at the farm, people such as Ed King, Johnny Neel and Carl Perkins, as well as Waylon Jennings, who once sang one of his big hits, “Good-Hearted Woman,” while Miley sat on his lap.

After a year of home schooling while doing some acting here and there, Miley returned to the public grind in Nashville for the sixth grade. Soon, she joined the cheerleading team. Being so small, she was very popular with the guys, because they could easily throw her all over the place. Her team won trophies.

But the fun of cheerleading was marred when three bullies (the Anti-Miley Club as she soon called it) decided they didn’t like Miley, this new girl in school with a famous father, and began scrutinizing Miley’s wardrobe, her every gesture and word. Reacting to this unpleasantness, Miley’s friends separated from her, not wanting to get involved. About this, Miley wrote, “Now I knew I wasn’t just being paranoid. I was an outcast. Why were my 'friends' turning on me? I had no idea. But there you have it. Welcome to sixth-grade social hell.”

Fortunately, Miley found a major distraction: she flew to L.A. and auditioned for a part in a new Disney Channel sit-com, Hannah Montana. At first, Miley tried out for the part of Lilly, the best friend of the show’s star, Chloe Stewart. But it soon became apparent that Miley had the talent – particularly the singing and dancing ability - to try out for the part of the main character, though the producers thought she might be too small and too young.

Miley returned to Nashville not knowing if she had gotten the part. Weeks passed and then she got the word that she was a “finalist.” It was bliss incorporated for Miley Cyrus, for attaining this part would certainly be the proverbial dream come true.

At this time in the book, Miley emphasized the importance of conquering your fears and having a willingness to take risks in order to fulfill your dreams. She said it would be impossible to succeed in this world without facing fears and taking risks.

Back at school, the Anti-Miley Club sent a letter to Miley telling her not to come to the cafeteria the following day or else. Miley thought, Should I pretend to have the flu? Should I skip lunch? Should I arm myself with a ketchup bottle and prepare for battle?

Then Miley’s mom (Leticia “Tish” Finley) found out about the threat and called the principal, defusing the potential clash. Nevertheless, the Terrible Trio didn’t let up on Miley, one time locking her in a bathroom. At this point, Miley wrote about her depression in the song, “Bottom of the Ocean.”

Finally – boom! Disney sent the news that Miley had gotten the part of Hannah Montana, while, coincidentally, Miley listened to the song “I Can’t Take It” by Tegan and Sara. Miley wasn’t as happy about achievement as she was about escaping Nashville before starting high school.

While Miley auditioned girls to play the part of her best friend Lilly, Miley’s mother began talking to the casting people about the possibility of Billy Ray playing the part of Miley’s dad on the show. After all, Billy had acting experience, having worked on the program Doc, a Canadian TV show. When, while auditioning, Miley and her father sang “I Want My Mullet Back,” one of Billy’s hits, he easily got the part.

Miley wrote that her father is something like his character on Hannah Montana; he loves family life and often imparts words of wisdom, one example of which is: “For every reaction there is an equal and opposite reaction.” Where have we heard that one before? By the way, Billy Ray wants them to play “Over the Rainbow” at his funeral.

Interestingly, Miley did some acting on Doc; she played a young girl named Kiley, the daughter of an abusive, alcoholic mother. She also acted in a commercial for Banquet Foods, and also played the part of Ruthie, a goody-two-shoes Southern girl in Tim Burton’s movie, Big Fish.

Before the pilot for the show was released, Miley performed in concert as Hannah Montana. Wearing pajamas, she sang songs such as “Pumping Up the Party Now.”

Miley’s book shows numerous annotations along the left or right margins, and one of them read: “Hannah has grown up so much – she’d never perform in sleepover PJs now!”

Sadly, about this time, Miley’s grandfather (her father’s father), Pappy as she called him, died of cancer. Miley wrote a song about him titled “I Miss You.” Pappy died right before the premiere of Hannah Montana, though, fortunately, he did see a tape of the pilot.

When the family had to relocate to Los Angeles so Miley could work at Disney Studios, Miley’s mother bought a small house in La Cañada . . . on the Internet! Miley wrote, “Mom is so twenty-first century.”

While on the set, Miley often argued with sidekick Emily Osment, who had gotten the part of Lilly. (Miley theorized that it was because they came from different backgrounds – Emily grew up in L.A.) The two of them would swap frowns or rolling eyes when the other one flubbed a line, missed a cue or whatever. Miley wrote, “The show felt real to me, and I wanted my relationship with Lilly to feel real too. I knew it didn’t have to – show business is show business – but I was disappointed. There were times when I didn’t think we could ever be friends. We just couldn’t figure out how to get along.”

Miley soon realized her fame wouldn’t be instantaneous. As she walked down the red carpet at the premiere of the Disney movie, Chicken Little, nobody took her photograph and, at the after-party, she and her mother had to eat while sitting on the floor.

When Miley first toured as Hannah Montana, opening for the Cheetah Girls, she didn’t have a backup band, just a band tract and only four dancers. Miley did 20 shows in one month. About this period, she wrote, “My dreams had come true. I was a singer. And an actor. So what if the dream come true had a straight blond wig glued on top? This girl wasn’t complaining. You know that old expression: A wig on the head is better than a head in the sixth-grade toilet.”

Then something happened in Miley’s life that was potentially much more serious than some bullies trying to get her to knuckle under.

While touring in St. Louis, Miley started getting so sick that she had to see a doctor. After an examination, the doctor diagnosed Miley as having a “hole in her heart,” a condition which can cause tachycardia, or a racing of the heart rate. So Miley had to start taking better care of herself.

(A hole in the heart is - according to an article on WebMD - a condition known as an atrial septal defect, which can cause blood from one chamber of the heart to leak into another, which isn’t how the organ is supposed to work. Some conditions can require surgery, though not necessarily something so serious as open-heart surgery.)

Miley’s second album, Meet Miley Cyrus, featured two discs, one with Miley performing as her alter ego, Hannah Montana, and the other as Miley Cyrus. Miley said that many of the songs on the album are about her “Prince Charming,” reportedly Nick Jonas of the Jonas Brothers.

About the music on this album, Miley wrote, “Music (and other forms of art) does the same thing. It can inspire, lift you up to the future, rein in your pride, knock you off your feet, embrace your soul, change your life. I want to make that kind of music. Art is a gift to others. The purpose of art is to drown people in emotion.”

Even with such lofty ideas about music and art in her head, Miley suffered from feelings of inadequacy or insecurity. One morning, at the age of 14, she couldn’t get out of bed. Simply put, Miley didn’t think she was beautiful. She had zits on her face and didn’t like her toenails or what she called her “cankles” (calf-like ankles). And it didn’t help when people made fun of her on the Internet!

About this state, Miley wrote, “When the second season (of Hannah Montana) ended, I was busier than ever. I was about to go on tour and didn’t have time to think. I was always dancing, sweating, out late working. The distraction helped. But when I went home, and the distractions were gone, the self-hatred would hit me all over again. I’d lost perspective.”

When Miley was in a funk, she liked bringing gifts, good feelings and jokes to children in hospitals, as her father often did. While at one hospital, Miley meet Venessa, who suffered from cystic fibrosis. Interacting with Venessa helped Miley conquer her vanity, self-centeredness and gave her “perspective,” a word she often used in the book.

A short time later, Venessa died, devastating Miley.

During Miley’s subsequent “Best of Both Worlds” tour, she donated one dollar from the sale of every ticket to the City of Hope, a charity for people suffering from cancer. And for Miley’s sixteenth birthday party held at Disneyland, 5,000 people were charged an admission of $250 apiece, and then Miley donated one million dollars to Youth Service America. Miley has also donated lots of time and money to other charities.

Finally, it was time for the young TV star to make a movie. Hannah Montana: The Movie was filmed at the Cyrus family farm in Franklin, Tennessee. Miley really enjoyed the experience of working so close to home. Perhaps because of this, she also got along better with co-star Emily Osment (Lilly).

Incidentally, Miley wrote that she often uses Method acting when playing the part of Hannah Montana. Method acting emphasizes the use of one’s personal experiences to get into character.

After Miley completed Hannah Montana: The Movie, she began working on Breakout, a rock ‘n’ roll album without any connection to her Hannah Montana character.

And so the career of Miley Cyrus is just beginning.

Only time will tell how much success Miley Cyrus garners with her career as a pop star, actress and songwriter. Conceivably, she could one day attain the status of such stars as Marilyn Monroe (one of Miley’s favorites), Dolly Parton, LeAnn Rimes, Madonna, Sheryl Crow or, pick out a name, as there seems no limit to Miley’s possibilities. If she continues to follow her dreams, as she likes to express it, who knows what may happen.

These days, though Miley’s career seems without limitation, she’s had ups and downs in her personal life. She’s been photographed drinking and smoking, and some of her risqué photos have been circulated on the Internet; and her father, Billy Ray, has publicly expressed dismay over his daughter’s questionable behavior. Not long ago, Billy had legally separated from his wife, Tish. However, they soon called off the divorce, and now Billy seems less worried about Miley. As for Miley, she appears cheerful and approachable and certainly motivated to be a great actress and rock star in the coming years and decades.

As of early 2012, Miley Cyrus’ career seems mired in an uneventful phase. She has embarked on world tours, her latest the Gypsy Heart in 2011, but her acting career hasn't been near as successful. Miley hasn’t been performing in movies or TV shows, and the movies she’s made in recent years are seemingly “undercover.” (Laughing Out Loud and So Undercover are finally due for release this year.) She hasn’t made much music either, just a Bob Dylan cover tune. There’s also reason to believe that Miley could overdo her partying lifestyle. Youth, money, fame and lots of spare time have toppled many stars. Let’s hope Miley has the good sense to avoid life’s evil brews. Perhaps her car collection will keep her occupied and out of the fast lane!

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