The name Hannah Montana can hardly be murmured without causing a stampede of tweens vying for her music, TV show or countless pieces of merchandise. She is, of course, the alter-ego of Miley Cyrus and the title character of the hit Disney Channel show Hannah Montana. In the show, Miley Cyrus plays a hit pop singer, Hannah Montana, whose real name is Miley Stewart. Stewart lives a normal teenage life with school, friends and boys but dons a wig to become the sensation Hannah Montana. Most of Stewart’s friends do not know that she is the pop star, so she must keep up the masquerade. The trick allows her to continue to have normal experiences while still chasing her musical dreams. The show has spawned an entire music tour, a movie on the tour and a full-length movie set to be released in 2009 and has featured stars like Jesse McCartney as guest stars.Miley Cyrus is the daughter of country music star Billy Ray Cyrus and was born on November 23, 1992. Billy Ray Cyrus also plays her father on the Hannah Montana show. Miley Cyrus grew up comfortable with stage performances and starting acting alongside her father. She had a small part in the movie Big Fish before trying out for Hannah Montana. Her interest in music was almost instantaneous as she was influenced by her dad’s career. She began writing songs before she was a teenager and continues to do so. She started Hanna Montana in 2006 and success was instant. Like other Disney Channel divas, her following among youngsters has given rise to her almost-unparalleled fame. Her first album was actually billed as a soundtrack to the show. Hannah Montana sold well followed by her first studio album, Hannah Montana, Vol. 2: Meet Miley Cyrus in 2007. The album was a two-disc special. The first disc featured Hannah Montana songs and was a soundtrack for the show. The second disc had songs showing Miley Cyrus as an artist apart from Hannah Montana. Cyrus has much more creative input into the second disc and co-wrote many of the tracks. She also had a Top 10 single on the U.S. Country charts in 2007 with “Ready, Set, Don’t Go,” a duet with her father. Miley Cyrus came out with her first non-Hannah Montana album in July of 2008 with Breakout. Cyrus is known for having a more edgy, rock feel to her songs versus the Hannah Montana songs, and her first single, “7 Things,” was a hit among fans. Whether she is Hannah Montana or herself, Miley Cyrus is the unquestionable teen queen of this generation.
