Maps of Music

Trail of Tears (1996)

Where the lyrics of Trail of Tears take you, and where it was really made.

The album sold modestly on the charts, yet it was the first Billy Ray Cyrus record to win wide critical acclaim and earn him respect in Nashville.

Key places

Log cabin recording site in Kingston Springs (1996)

Recording site Log cabin in Kingston Springs — Trail of Tears was recorded with the band Sly Dog in a log cabin in Kingston Springs, Tennessee, owned by band member Terry Shelton. The point marks the candidate address in Kingston Springs. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Trail of Tears: fourth studio album by country artist Billy Ray Cyrus
• Released August 20, 1996
• Two singles: the title track and "Three Little Words"
• Title track video directed by Rich Murray
• The two singles peaked at number 69 and number 65 on the country charts
• Debuted at number 125 on the U.S. Billboard 200
• Debuted at number 20 on the U.S. Top Country Albums
• Sold more than 250,000 copies worldwide
• Covers of "Harper Valley PTA", "Sing Me Back Home" and "Crazy Mama"
• Cyrus is a credited writer on all tracks except "Three Little Words"

Background

• Cyrus called the album "Homegrown Music" and said it was a different kind of album
• Despite low sales, it was the first album to earn Cyrus widespread critical acclaim
• That acclaim earned him industry respect from Nashville
• Cyrus said that for the first time in years he felt free

Recording

• Recorded with Cyrus's band Sly Dog
• Recorded in a log cabin owned by band member Terry Shelton
• Shelton served as co-producer alongside Cyrus
• The cabin was set in Kingston Springs, Tennessee
• Cyrus said the sound was better than his previous three albums

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Career

• Born William Ray Cyrus on August 25, 1961, in Flatwoods, Kentucky; American singer, songwriter and actor.
• Debut album Some Gave All (1992) topped the Billboard 200 and Top Country Albums; certified 9× multi-platinum in the US and sold over 20 million copies worldwide.
• Lead single "Achy Breaky Heart" topped the Hot Country Songs chart and became a global hit, spreading the line dance into the mainstream.
• Moved from Mercury Records to Monument Records in 1999, then to New Door/UMe, Walt Disney Records and Lyric Street Records.
• Starred in the PAX series Doc (2001–2004), Disney Channel's Hannah Montana (2006–2011) with daughter Miley Cyrus, and CMT's Still the King (2016–2017).

Old Town Road

• Featured on the remix of Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road", which reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent 19 consecutive weeks there.
• The song won Grammy Awards for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Best Music Video.

Personal life

• Married Cindy Smith (1986–1991), then Leticia "Tish" Finley; the couple raised several children together.
• Married Australian singer Firerose in 2023; divorce finalized in August 2024.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• AllMusic's Thom Owens called it Cyrus's most personal and accomplished album
• Owens pointed to rootsy production flourishes that added grit and edge to the sound
• Owens noted that Cyrus sang with more conviction
• Owens concluded that the album suggested Cyrus could carve out a successful career
• Entertainment Weekly's Alanna Nash called it a rapidly maturing blend of roots rock and country classics in bare-bones production
• Nash said "Need a Little Help" and the title track had the potential to make Cyrus an artistic contender

Reappraisal

• The first Cyrus album to receive widespread critical acclaim from music critics
• That acclaim earned him industry respect from Nashville despite low sales

Records

• U.S. Billboard 200: debuted at number 125
• U.S. Top Country Albums: debuted at number 20
• Worldwide sales: more than 250,000 copies
• Title track peaked at number 69 on the country charts
• "Three Little Words" peaked at number 65 on the country charts

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• Cyrus called the album "Homegrown Music", a different kind of album from his earlier work.
• Cyrus compared the recording setting with a glossy studio on 16th Avenue and argued that a home studio could still produce good records.
• Three songs are covers: "Harper Valley PTA" from Jeannie C. Riley, "Sing Me Back Home" from Merle Haggard and The Strangers, and "Crazy Mama" from J. J. Cale.
• The album's second single, "Three Little Words", is the only track on which Cyrus is not a credited writer.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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