Country star-turned-actor Billy Ray Cyrus is literally breathing a sigh of relief after getting the all-clear following tests for a respiratory disease that killed his grandfather.
- April 17, 2011
AceShowbiz - The "Achy Breaky Heart" singer, Billy Ray Cyrus chose to get himself tested for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) after signing up as a spokesman for the health initiative hoping to stamp out the killer disease.
He took the Tune Up for COPD five-question screener quiz online and found out he's in good shape.
He tells website CMT.com, "I didn't have a perfect score, but I passed."
And Billy Ray Cyrus is content in the knowledge he won't suffer like his grandfather did.
He adds, "I saw him struggle to breathe. It makes you feel helpless. The more I learn about the disease, I realise how many people in my part of Appalachia had trouble like this. Breathing is just such an intricate part of living."
Billy Ray Cyrus has launched a new songwriting contest in collaboration with the charity and he's asking budding stars to write songs about breathing.
He'll pick a winner, who will be flown to Nashville, Tennessee to meet Billy Ray Cyrus. The hitmaker/actor will then perform the winning song as part of the CMA Music Festival in June.
