Billy Ray called it "an honor" and praised music's power to change lives. He emphasized fooling all four panelists as "quite an accomplishment" — especially for someone they'd guessed "so many times" before.
The clues were RIGHT THERE: a "1992" sign (Miley's birth year + "Achy Breaky Heart" release), a billy goat, and a "lady in red" reference. Billy Ray revealed "an angel came into my life named Elizabeth Hurley" — confirming the romance rumors just in time for Valentine's Day.
Owl performed Billy Idol's "White Wedding" before getting eliminated. The battle round featured Pat Benatar's "Love Is a Battlefield" against Stingray. Cyrus is a two-time Grammy winner whose "Old Town Road" collab with Lil Nas X logged 19 consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2019.
Billy Ray Cyrus just pulled off the ultimate disguise on national TV — and used his unmasking to go Instagram official with Elizabeth Hurley. Iconic energy.
In the end, Owl had to fly — and the country music legend underneath shocked everyone.
Billy Ray Cyrus was revealed as Owl on Fox's *The Masked Singer* Wednesday night after losing a battle round to Stingray. The two-time Grammy winner performed Billy Idol's "White Wedding" before facing elimination, then battled with Pat Benatar's "Love Is a Battlefield." It wasn't enough.
The twist? All four panelists — Ken Jeong, Jenny McCarthy, Rita Ora, and Robin Thicke — completely whiffed on the guess. "It's very rare that none of us get it right," Thicke admitted, "especially for such a big name and a big star and somebody we've guessed so many times. So to be able to fool all of us, that's quite an accomplishment."
Billy Ray agreed. "It's an honor to be with y'all," he said post-reveal. "You know, it's been a lot of fun. Music changes everything, music changes lives."
The clues were hiding in plain sight. A "1992" sign pointed to the year Miley was born AND the release of his signature hit "Achy Breaky Heart," which peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. There was also a billy goat (subtle) and a "lady in red" reference.
That last one? A Valentine's Day flex. "An angel came into my life named Elizabeth Hurley," Billy Ray revealed, confirming the romance rumors with the British actress just two days before February 14.
To younger generations, Billy Ray is best known as Miley and Noah's dad — and the guy who rode Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road" to 19 consecutive weeks at No. 1 in 2019, a then-record. But he's been a force in country music for decades, and clearly still knows how to command a stage (even from inside a giant owl costume).
With his departure, 10 contestants remain in Season 14, including all three wildcards. The Twilight-themed episode also featured Christina Perri performing "A Thousand Years" and performances from Cat Witch, 14 Karat Carrot, and Stingray.
Billy Ray Cyrus: two-time Grammy winner, mullet icon, and now the guy who fooled an entire panel of celebrity judges while dressed as a bird. Respect.
