Billy Ray Cyrus was a teenager when his grandfather Eldon passed away, but he will always remember watching him deteriorate from lung disease.
“Music can be a great healer.”
– Billy Ray Cyrus
“My grandfather meant a lot to me, and even though he passed away when I was young, he brought faith and guidance into my life, and I am still able to draw upon those memories,” Cyrus says of his grandfather, who was a preacher. “He always inspired me to move forward and pursue my dreams.”
Growing up, Cyrus found inspiration from the gospel, bluegrass and country music that he surrounded himself with. His music spans almost two decades and covers a variety of styles. “Growing up in a household full of different styles of music allowed me to express myself in ways that I didn’t think possible. Music was something that became an integral part of my life, and through it I found something I knew would be a life-long passion,” Cyrus says. “Music is such an important part of my life, and has helped me through so much; I am grateful for the opportunities I’ve gained through it, and glad I can reach out to others and help them in the same way.”
Cyrus says the tattoo on his left arm, “Music Changes Everything” sums up the importance of music in his life. As a musician, he understands the value of being able to channel your daily challenges in life—such as COPD—through music, to create a unique expression of yourself. “It’s my life and my passion, and I have been able to engage and communicate with so many people through it,” Cyrus says. “Music can be a great healer.”
Today, Cyrus has been able to bring together his love of music and his late grandfather to educate people about COPD through the DRIVE4COPD™ campaign as a Celebrity Ambassador.
Launched in February 2010, DRIVE4COPD™ is a public health movement that drives fundamental change in COPD awareness in this country. To date, the DRIVE4COPD™ campaign has screened more than 1.5 million at-risk individuals for COPD.
This past month, the DRIVE4COPD™ campaign hosted the Tune Up for COPD Songwriting Competition, of which Cyrus was a judge. The competition asked amateur songwriters to write a song with a motivational message that encouraged people to be proactive in taking control of their health. The goal was to help raise awareness of COPD.
Cyrus says he’s learned a lot from all the entries and experienced firsthand how many and how deeply COPD affects people. “Realizing the significance of COPD and being a part of this campaign has become a part of my purpose. I’d like to help make a difference in one person’s life—if not many people’s lives,” Cyrus says.
“I learned a lot from listening to all the finalists—each one was so talented and they had a personal story that resonated and precipitated emotion from others,” he says. “They all deserved to be heard.”
Timothy Wright, 59, from Carmel, IN won the contest and performed his song, “Just As Long As I Can Breathe” on June 11th at the CMA Music Festival in Nashville.
“Before this campaign and contest, I don’t think I realized just how many people are affected by COPD,” Cyrus says. “This experience has let me become a part of people’s lives, if only for a song, and it has truly been a tremendous learning experience for me. It helps me realize the power of music.”
This summer, the COPD Foundation is hosting a Summer Art Challenge that encourages individuals with COPD to create any type of art— a sculpture, painting, original song, even a video —that expresses what living with the disease means to them.
The goal is to have individuals communicate their experiences with COPD and share with others, spreading awareness and education among the community. To submit a piece of artwork, visit www.facesofcopd.org. “That is a good, good idea. What better way to allow people to express themselves than through art?” Cyrus says. “That’s something that I’m lucky enough to be able to do every day.”
Cyrus says spreading awareness of COPD has taught him a lot, especially the importance of early detection and diagnosis.
“What I’ve learned is that if you even think you might be at risk for COPD, get tested. Take the five-question screener at DRIVE4COPD.com and take those results to your doctor immediately. Do not wait. We need to stress the importance of early diagnosis in the U.S.,” he says.
“COPD is a debilitating disease and if we can help detect it early, then we’ve done our job. Being able to spread awareness will help people nationwide get the care they need for the disease,” Cyrus says. “Together, through music, we’ve been able to raise awareness, but there are still 12 million people out there undiagnosed. We need to take our message, our music, and reach out to those individuals.”
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