Robby Ray Stewart
Encyclopedia
'For the actor of the character Robbie see Billy Cyrus
Robert Ray "Robby" Stewart is a fictional character
from the Disney Channel
series Hannah Montana
, portrayed by Billy Ray Cyrus
. Robby is the single father of Jackson Stewart (Jason Earles
) and Miley Stewart (Miley Cyrus
). He appears in all episodes in seasons 1 and 2, is absent for 3 episodes in season 3, and is absent for 1 episode in season 4.
The character is based on Jed Clampett, the main character of The Beverly Hillbillies
, even to the point of using Jed's famous catchphrase Well doggies!.
had been given the lead role. After he was offered the role, Billy Ray at first had reservations about accepting it, saying "The last thing I would want to do is screw up Miley's show." Miley admitted that it was "weird" at first having her real life dad as her television dad, but later described the situation as "really good."
Billy Ray provided much of the inspiration for the character which largely became a fictionalised version
of himself.
) and a brother named Earl who is seen in the episode (We're So Sorry) Uncle Earl, and often spoken of. His mother is Ruthie Ray Stewart (Vicki Lawrence
), known to his children as "Mamaw." He has a close relationship with Dolly Parton
who is his children's godmother
.
In his early years, Robby, using the stage name
"Robbie Ray," was a successful country music
singer-songwriter
charting three number one hits and two top fives. He also won a music video of the year award and an International Music Award for artist of the year. He was also honored with a diamond on the Hollywood Parade of Diamonds (a parody of the Hollywood Walk of Fame
) prestigiously located in front of Grauman's Chinese Theatre
. After his wife Susan (Brooke Shields
) died (April 12, 1969 – December 27, 2002), he retired from his career to look after his two children. Soon afterwards, he moved the family from Crowley Corners, Tennessee, to California where Miley became famous as Hannah Montana. He then works as her manager
, producer
, and primary songwriter
. On a few rare occasions, he also performs on stage with Hannah.
As Hannah's manager, Robby wears a fake moustache to hide his identity in order to keep Miley's secret and sometimes disguises his voice. This ruse, along with his sudden abandonment of his career, may have led one fan (Maddie Fitzpatrick's mother) to believe that he was dead. However, this disguise is often ineffective at preventing his fans from recognising him, and several times he even publicly identifies himself as Robbie Ray, the father of Hannah Montana. To those who are unfamiliar with his previous career, he is known simply as Mr. Montana. It seems that both aliases effectively conceal his identity as Mr. Stewart.
In Hannah Montana: The Movie
, he temporarily moves the family back to Tennessee. There he meets a woman named Lorelai (Melora Hardin
) who becomes his love interest. He had previously dated real estate agent Margo Diamond and Lilly Truscott's mother Heather (Heather Locklear
) in California.
A large side of his personality is very childlike. He is not above pulling practical jokes or waging a marshmallow gun war with the Jonas Brothers
in the recording studio when other artists are working. When he first came to California, he couldn't resist playing Ding-dong Ditch
at the homes of famous stars. He is also very susceptible to having his feelings hurt, especially by Miley.
Being from rural Tennessee, Robby often uses his own "countrified" versions of proverbs and similes, often to the perplexity of Californians Lilly and Oliver. He also is known for his catch phrases "Yee, doggies!," "Dang flabit!," "Say what?!," "Sweet niblets!," and "What the Sam Heck?!"
He is proud of his cooking skills, but tends to have an unhealthy diet. He fixes "Loco Hot Coco
" (That causes unusual dreams) (his and Miley's "special drink", and when serving it he says "Here's some Loco Hot CoCo with little marshmallows so you don't choke-o." as well as cake or ice cream. He tries to balances his sugar intake with jogging, but he keeps scaling back how much he jogs. Robbie adores eating pie and in many episodes, Robbie tends to use pie to change the subject when he knows something bad has happened. He often says "So.....who wants pie?". Robbie is very protective of his pie and in I Honestly Love You (No Not You),Jackson says that he once almost lost a finger trying to get between his dad and the pie he was eating. Robbie also has "Back when I was a boy" stories which are mentioned in both You Never Give Me My Money and I Honestly Love You (No Not You). These stories irritate both Miley and Jackson. In Torn Between Two Hannahs, Lilly Truscott
does a pretty good impression of Robbie, to which Miley describes as "Creepy good".
He is intensely fond of his hair which he prides in keeping in excellent condition. He uses just a dab of volumizing mousse
and Brazil nut
conditioner which attractes wasps.
His instrument of choice is the guitar which he plays left handed. He seems to have an affinity for Gibson
guitars in particular. He owns a sunburst Gibson ES-335
, a white Gibson SG
, a Gibson J-200
(in a dream sequence), a Gibson Songwriter Deluxe Studio EC, and a "Doves in Flight" custom version of the Gibson Dove
which he nicknamed "Lucky Lulu." He also owns a red Fender Telecaster
and a Takamine
dreadnought
. He can also play the violin
and steel guitar
.
. While Miley has expressed frustration when her father "goes all fortune cookie" on her, she also recognizes her dependence on his advice, especially when she's in a tight spot. She deeply values her relationship with her father and becomes jealous when she feels others threaten the relationship.
A common theme explored in Hannah Montana is Robby's dealing with Miley growing up. He has difficulty accepting the fact that she is no longer a child and therefore has a tendency to treat her as a child. As a single parent, he also finds himself over protective of Miley.
A milestone in their relationship occurs in the episode "I Want You to Want Me... to Go to Florida" in which Robby allows Miley to travel to a charity concert in Florida without him. This represents a large step in his moving toward accepting Miley's independence. He admits to Miley: "no daddy ever wants to see his little girl grow up, [but] every dad knows someday she has to." Another episode to explore this theme is "It's a Mannequin's World." Miley tells Lily that ever since her mom died, she's gotten bad presents from her dad. For this birthday, he got her a pink sweater with a cat on it that meows when you pinch it. Later in the episode, Robby Ray admits he only bought that for Miley because she's still his little girl.
He lets her date, but when she brings a date home, he does become embarrassing. For example, when she brought Jake home he gave them two seconds to kiss. And when her and Jake were alone and started to make out, from the air vent Robby told them to stop kissing and start talking.
He has many nicknames for Miley: Mile, Miles, Baby Girl,Little Girl and most often used: Bud. Miley hates most of her nicknames except for Mile, Miles and Bud. In Don't Go Breaking My Tooth he tells Tim McGraw he has to take his baby girl to the dentist, which makes Miley mad, since she hates being referred to as a baby.
Robby and other characters on Hannah Montana occasionally reference Cyrus's real-life music and television careers.
Since Billy Ray Cyrus impersonated himself with his character, this hints that Cyrus and his daughter Miley may exist in the show's universe.
Billy Ray Cyrus
William "Billy" Ray Cyrus is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor and philanthropist, who helped make country music a worldwide phenomenon...
Robert Ray "Robby" Stewart is a fictional character
Character (arts)
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the Disney Channel
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
series Hannah Montana
Hannah Montana
Hannah Montana is an American television series, which debuted on March 24, 2006 on the Disney Channel. The series focuses on a girl who lives a double life as an average teenage school girl named Miley Stewart by day and a famous pop singer named Hannah Montana by night, concealing her real...
, portrayed by Billy Ray Cyrus
Billy Ray Cyrus
William "Billy" Ray Cyrus is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor and philanthropist, who helped make country music a worldwide phenomenon...
. Robby is the single father of Jackson Stewart (Jason Earles
Jason Earles
Jason Daniel Earles is an American actor, known for his role as Jackson Stewart on the Disney Channel sitcom Hannah Montana and his role as Sensei Rudy in his new Disney XD series Kickin' It.-Personal life and philanthropy:...
) and Miley Stewart (Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus
Miley Ray Cyrus is an American actress and pop singer-songwriter. She achieved wide fame for her role as Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel sitcom Hannah Montana....
). He appears in all episodes in seasons 1 and 2, is absent for 3 episodes in season 3, and is absent for 1 episode in season 4.
The character is based on Jed Clampett, the main character of The Beverly Hillbillies
The Beverly Hillbillies
The Beverly Hillbillies is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for nine seasons on CBS from 1962 to 1971, starring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer, Jr....
, even to the point of using Jed's famous catchphrase Well doggies!.
Casting
Billy Ray Cyrus auditioned for the part along with two other actors. He was only asked to audition after his daughter MileyMiley Cyrus
Miley Ray Cyrus is an American actress and pop singer-songwriter. She achieved wide fame for her role as Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel sitcom Hannah Montana....
had been given the lead role. After he was offered the role, Billy Ray at first had reservations about accepting it, saying "The last thing I would want to do is screw up Miley's show." Miley admitted that it was "weird" at first having her real life dad as her television dad, but later described the situation as "really good."
Billy Ray provided much of the inspiration for the character which largely became a fictionalised version
Self-parody
A self-parody is a parody of oneself or one's own work. As an artist accomplishes it by imitating his or her own characteristics, a self-parody is potentially difficult to distinguish from especially characteristic productions .Sometimes critics use the...
of himself.
Biography
According to the Hannah Montana backstory, Robby was born on July 6, 1968 and grew up in fictional Bufford County, Tennessee. He has a large family with eight brothers and sisters. He has a twin brother named Bobby Ray (also played by Billy Ray CyrusBilly Ray Cyrus
William "Billy" Ray Cyrus is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor and philanthropist, who helped make country music a worldwide phenomenon...
) and a brother named Earl who is seen in the episode (We're So Sorry) Uncle Earl, and often spoken of. His mother is Ruthie Ray Stewart (Vicki Lawrence
Vicki Lawrence
Vicki Lawrence is an American actress, comedienne, and Billboard Hot 100 #1 singer, who was frequently a game show panelist in the 1970s and 1980s...
), known to his children as "Mamaw." He has a close relationship with Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...
who is his children's godmother
Godparent
A godparent, in many denominations of Christianity, is someone who sponsors a child's baptism. A male godparent is a godfather, and a female godparent is a godmother...
.
In his early years, Robby, using the stage name
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
"Robbie Ray," was a successful country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
charting three number one hits and two top fives. He also won a music video of the year award and an International Music Award for artist of the year. He was also honored with a diamond on the Hollywood Parade of Diamonds (a parody of the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
) prestigiously located in front of Grauman's Chinese Theatre
Grauman's Chinese Theatre
Grauman's Chinese Theatre is a movie theater at 6925 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood. It is on the historic Hollywood Walk of Fame.The Chinese Theatre was commissioned following the success of the nearby Grauman's Egyptian Theatre which opened in 1922...
. After his wife Susan (Brooke Shields
Brooke Shields
Brooke Christa Shields is an American actress and model. Some of her better-known movies include Pretty Baby and The Blue Lagoon, as well as TV shows such as Suddenly Susan, That '70s Show and Lipstick Jungle....
) died (April 12, 1969 – December 27, 2002), he retired from his career to look after his two children. Soon afterwards, he moved the family from Crowley Corners, Tennessee, to California where Miley became famous as Hannah Montana. He then works as her manager
Talent manager
A talent manager, also known as an artist manager or band manager, is an individual or company who guides the professional career of artists in the entertainment industry...
, producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, and primary songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
. On a few rare occasions, he also performs on stage with Hannah.
As Hannah's manager, Robby wears a fake moustache to hide his identity in order to keep Miley's secret and sometimes disguises his voice. This ruse, along with his sudden abandonment of his career, may have led one fan (Maddie Fitzpatrick's mother) to believe that he was dead. However, this disguise is often ineffective at preventing his fans from recognising him, and several times he even publicly identifies himself as Robbie Ray, the father of Hannah Montana. To those who are unfamiliar with his previous career, he is known simply as Mr. Montana. It seems that both aliases effectively conceal his identity as Mr. Stewart.
In Hannah Montana: The Movie
Hannah Montana: The Movie
Hannah Montana: The Movie is a 2009 Walt Disney Pictures musical comedy film based on the Disney Channel show Hannah Montana which was released on April 10, 2009, by Walt Disney Pictures, it was the second Disney Channel series to have a movie for Walt Disney Pictures. The film was directed by...
, he temporarily moves the family back to Tennessee. There he meets a woman named Lorelai (Melora Hardin
Melora Hardin
Melora Diane Hardin is an American actress, best known for her roles as Jan Levinson on NBC's The Office and Trudy Monk on USA's Monk.-Early life:...
) who becomes his love interest. He had previously dated real estate agent Margo Diamond and Lilly Truscott's mother Heather (Heather Locklear
Heather Locklear
Heather Deen Locklear is an American actress best known for her television roles as Sammy Jo Carrington on Dynasty, Officer Stacy Sheridan on T.J...
) in California.
Personality
Robby is a very loving father. He is decisive and authoritative with Jackson and Miley when he needs to be, but he often prefers to suggest the right thing to do, rather than force it upon them. For this Jackson and Miley often underestimate his parenting skills. When they try to mislead him, Robby often pretends to fall for it, only to have them find out later that he knew what was going on all along.A large side of his personality is very childlike. He is not above pulling practical jokes or waging a marshmallow gun war with the Jonas Brothers
Jonas Brothers
The Jonas Brothers are an American boy band. The band gained its popularity from the Disney Channel children's television network. From the shore region of New Jersey, the band consists of three brothers: Paul Kevin Jonas II , Joseph Adam Jonas , and Nicholas Jerry Jonas...
in the recording studio when other artists are working. When he first came to California, he couldn't resist playing Ding-dong Ditch
Knock, Knock, Ginger
Knock, Knock, Ginger or Knocky Door Ginger were the names for the game dating back to 19th century England or possibly before to the Cornish traditional holiday of Nickanan Night. This game or prank is played by children in many cultures. It involves knocking on the front door of a victim, then...
at the homes of famous stars. He is also very susceptible to having his feelings hurt, especially by Miley.
Being from rural Tennessee, Robby often uses his own "countrified" versions of proverbs and similes, often to the perplexity of Californians Lilly and Oliver. He also is known for his catch phrases "Yee, doggies!," "Dang flabit!," "Say what?!," "Sweet niblets!," and "What the Sam Heck?!"
He is proud of his cooking skills, but tends to have an unhealthy diet. He fixes "Loco Hot Coco
Hot chocolate
Hot chocolate is a heated beverage typically consisting of shaved chocolate, melted chocolate or cocoa powder, heated milk or water, and sugar...
" (That causes unusual dreams) (his and Miley's "special drink", and when serving it he says "Here's some Loco Hot CoCo with little marshmallows so you don't choke-o." as well as cake or ice cream. He tries to balances his sugar intake with jogging, but he keeps scaling back how much he jogs. Robbie adores eating pie and in many episodes, Robbie tends to use pie to change the subject when he knows something bad has happened. He often says "So.....who wants pie?". Robbie is very protective of his pie and in I Honestly Love You (No Not You),Jackson says that he once almost lost a finger trying to get between his dad and the pie he was eating. Robbie also has "Back when I was a boy" stories which are mentioned in both You Never Give Me My Money and I Honestly Love You (No Not You). These stories irritate both Miley and Jackson. In Torn Between Two Hannahs, Lilly Truscott
Lilly
- People :* Bob Lilly , American football player and photographer* Colonel Eli Lilly , pharmaceutical chemist, founder of Eli Lilly and Company* Evangeline Lilly , Canadian actress* Greg Lilly , American writer...
does a pretty good impression of Robbie, to which Miley describes as "Creepy good".
He is intensely fond of his hair which he prides in keeping in excellent condition. He uses just a dab of volumizing mousse
Hair mousse
Hair mousse is a hairstyling product added to hair for extra volume and shine. It is often dispensed in an aerosol foam spray or in a cream form. Hair mousse adds volume to hair and often provides both conditioning and hold, without any clumps or buildup. Hair mousse is a purple color while in the...
and Brazil nut
Brazil Nut
The Brazil nut is a South American tree in the family Lecythidaceae, and also the name of the tree's commercially harvested edible seed.- Order :...
conditioner which attractes wasps.
His instrument of choice is the guitar which he plays left handed. He seems to have an affinity for Gibson
Gibson Guitar Corporation
The Gibson Guitar Corporation, formerly of Kalamazoo, Michigan and currently of Nashville, Tennessee, manufactures guitars and other instruments which sell under a variety of brand names...
guitars in particular. He owns a sunburst Gibson ES-335
Gibson ES-335
The Gibson ES-335 is the world's first commercial thinline arched-top semi-acoustic electric guitar. Released by the Gibson Guitar Corporation as part of its ES series in 1958, it is neither hollow nor solid; instead, a solid wood block runs through the center of its body...
, a white Gibson SG
Gibson SG
At the launch of the SG in 1961, Gibson offered four variants of the SG; the SG Junior , the SG Special, the SG Standard, and the top-of-the-line SG Custom. However, Gibson's current core variants as of 2010 are the SG Standard and the SG Special...
, a Gibson J-200
Gibson J-200
Gibson J-200 is an acoustic guitar model produced by the Gibson Guitar Corporation.Gibson entered into production of this model in 1938 as its top-of-the-line flat top guitar, initially called the Super Jumbo, changing the name in 1939 to the Super Jumbo 200. It was made at the Gibson Factory in...
(in a dream sequence), a Gibson Songwriter Deluxe Studio EC, and a "Doves in Flight" custom version of the Gibson Dove
Gibson Dove
The Gibson Dove is a flattop Steel-string acoustic guitar made by Gibson Guitar Corporation. First made in 1962 in Kalamazoo, Michigan, it was Gibson's second square-shouldered dreadnought , after the introduction of the Gibson Hummingbird in 1962. Both guitars have solid spruce tops and engraved...
which he nicknamed "Lucky Lulu." He also owns a red Fender Telecaster
Fender Telecaster
The Fender Telecaster, colloquially known as the Tele , is typically a dual-pickup, solid-body electric guitar made by Fender.Its simple yet effective design and revolutionary sound broke ground and set trends in electric guitar manufacturing and popular music...
and a Takamine
Takamine Guitars
is a Japanese guitar manufacturer based in Nakatsugawa, Gifu, Japan. Takamine is known for its steel-string guitars.The company was founded in May 1962; in 1978 they were one of the first companies to introduce acoustic-electric models, where they pioneered the design of the preamp-equalizer...
dreadnought
Dreadnought (guitar type)
Dreadnought is a type of acoustic guitar body developed by guitar manufacturers C.F. Martin & Company. The Dreadnought style has since been copied by other guitar manufacturers and is now a common style of guitar body...
. He can also play the violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
and steel guitar
Steel guitar
Steel guitar is a type of guitar or the method of playing the instrument. Developed in Hawaii in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a steel guitar is usually positioned horizontally; strings are plucked with one hand, while the other hand changes the pitch of one or more strings with the use...
.
Relationship with Miley
Robby sometimes offers Miley advice indirectly by utilizing reverse psychologyReverse psychology
Reverse psychology is a technique involving the advocacy of a belief or behavior that is opposite to the one desired, with the expectation that this approach will encourage the subject of the persuasion to do what actually is desired: the opposite of what is suggested...
. While Miley has expressed frustration when her father "goes all fortune cookie" on her, she also recognizes her dependence on his advice, especially when she's in a tight spot. She deeply values her relationship with her father and becomes jealous when she feels others threaten the relationship.
A common theme explored in Hannah Montana is Robby's dealing with Miley growing up. He has difficulty accepting the fact that she is no longer a child and therefore has a tendency to treat her as a child. As a single parent, he also finds himself over protective of Miley.
A milestone in their relationship occurs in the episode "I Want You to Want Me... to Go to Florida" in which Robby allows Miley to travel to a charity concert in Florida without him. This represents a large step in his moving toward accepting Miley's independence. He admits to Miley: "no daddy ever wants to see his little girl grow up, [but] every dad knows someday she has to." Another episode to explore this theme is "It's a Mannequin's World." Miley tells Lily that ever since her mom died, she's gotten bad presents from her dad. For this birthday, he got her a pink sweater with a cat on it that meows when you pinch it. Later in the episode, Robby Ray admits he only bought that for Miley because she's still his little girl.
He lets her date, but when she brings a date home, he does become embarrassing. For example, when she brought Jake home he gave them two seconds to kiss. And when her and Jake were alone and started to make out, from the air vent Robby told them to stop kissing and start talking.
He has many nicknames for Miley: Mile, Miles, Baby Girl,Little Girl and most often used: Bud. Miley hates most of her nicknames except for Mile, Miles and Bud. In Don't Go Breaking My Tooth he tells Tim McGraw he has to take his baby girl to the dentist, which makes Miley mad, since she hates being referred to as a baby.
Similarity to Billy Ray Cyrus
Billy Ray Cyrus inspired many aspects of the Robby Stewart character. Both men are country musicians from Tennessee and share a middle name. Cyrus's real life relationships with both Miley Cyrus and Dolly Parton are identical to Robby's relationships with Miley Stewart and Aunt Dolly in the show. Miley Cyrus has said in interviews that the show's writers received inspiration for the show by listening to her and her father talking. Also, the depiction of Robbie Ray as a has-been country star is meant to poke fun at Cyrus's own music career, which by some was labeled a one hit wonder before the popularity of Hannah Montana.| Song name | Other information |
|---|---|
| Stand | |
| I Want My Mullet Back | |
| Ready Set Go | (with Miley Cyrus Miley Cyrus Miley Ray Cyrus is an American actress and pop singer-songwriter. She achieved wide fame for her role as Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel sitcom Hannah Montana.... ) |
| Butterfly Fly Away | Movie Only (Used for the soundtrack) |
| Back To Tennessee | Movie Only |
Robby and other characters on Hannah Montana occasionally reference Cyrus's real-life music and television careers.
- In "It's a Mannequin's World" Robby cracks his back walking underneath a limbo stickLimbo (dance)Limbo is a popular form of dance that originated on the island of Trinidad. The dancer moves to a Caribbean rhythm, then leans backward and dances under a horizontal pole without touching it. Upon touching it or falling backwards, the dancer is "out"...
and cries out "Oh, my achy breaky back!" This is a reference to the song "Achy Breaky HeartAchy Breaky Heart"Achy Breaky Heart" is a hit country music song written by Don Von Tress. Originally titled "Don't Tell My Heart", its name was later changed to "Achy Breaky Heart" and was recorded by Billy Ray Cyrus on his 1992 album Some Gave All. As Cyrus' debut single and signature song, it made him famous and...
," Cyrus's signature songSignature songA signature song is the one song that a popular and well-established singer or band is most closely identified with or best known for, even if they have had success with a variety of songs...
. - In "Ooo, Ooo, Itchy Woman" Robby asks a musically gifted mouse if it can play "Achy Breaky Heart" on the piano.
- In "On the Road Again" it is revealed that "I Want My Mullet Back," a song from Cyrus's 2006 album Wanna Be Your JoeWanna Be Your JoeWanna Be Your Joe is the ninth studio album released from country music artist Billy Ray Cyrus. Released on July 17, 2006 on New Door Records and UMe, it was Cyrus' first country album since 2000's Southern Rain. It is also his first album of non-gospel music in three years. From Billy Ray's...
, is also one of Robbie Ray's signature hits. - In "New Kid in School" Robby does an exaggerated "impersonation" of Billy Ray Cyrus wearing a mullet wig.
- In "Get Down, Study-udy-udy" Robby sings "I Want My Mullet Back" and "Wanna Be Your Joe" from his 2006 album Wanna Be Your Joe.
- In "I Am Hannah, Hear Me Croak" Jackson says his dad would know a good doctor, a reference to Cyrus's role on the television series DocDoc (TV series)Doc is a medical drama/family drama with strong Christian undertones starring Billy Ray Cyrus as Dr. Clint "Doc" Cassidy, a Montana doctor who takes a job in a New York City medical clinic. It ran from March 11, 2001 to November 28, 2004 on PAX...
. - In "My Best Friend's Boyfriend" Robby made fun of "those stupid dance shows" on television. Cyrus appeared on the fourth season of Dancing with the StarsDancing with the Stars (US TV series)Dancing with the Stars is a reality show airing on ABC in the United States, and CTV in Canada in 2011. The show is the American version of the British BBC television series Strictly Come Dancing...
. - The episode titled "Achy Jakey Heart (Part 1 & 2)" are reference to "Achy Breaky Heart".
- In "Achy Jakey Heart, Part 2" Robby's line "Good night, Nurse Nichol." was a reference to Nurse Nancy Nichols, a character on Doc.
- In "Sleepwalk This Way," Robby has a Gibson DoveGibson DoveThe Gibson Dove is a flattop Steel-string acoustic guitar made by Gibson Guitar Corporation. First made in 1962 in Kalamazoo, Michigan, it was Gibson's second square-shouldered dreadnought , after the introduction of the Gibson Hummingbird in 1962. Both guitars have solid spruce tops and engraved...
he names "Lucky Lulu." This is Cyrus personal guitar which he has performed with outside of the show, even calling it "Lucky Lulu." - In "I Want You to Want Me... to Go to Florida" Robby writes the song "Ready, Set, Don't GoReady, Set, Don't Go"Ready, Set, Don't Go" is a country song performed by American recording artists Billy Ray Cyrus and Miley Cyrus. It was released as the lead single from Home at Last, Cyrus' tenth studio album. It was sent to country radio stations on July 11, 2007 with a radio edit as a B-side. The song is a soft...
" for Miley. This song, which appeared in Cyrus's 2007 album Home at Last, was written by Billy Ray Cyrus for Miley Cyrus. - In "Everybody Was Best Friend Fighting" a palm reader (Karina SmirnoffKarina SmirnoffKarina Smirnoff is a Ukrainian professional ballroom dancer. She is best known for her appearances on Dancing with the Stars, where she held a runner-up title, a semi-final title, and several quarter-final titles...
, who was Cyrus's partner on Dancing with the Stars), tells Robby that she sees him dancing in front of many people. Robby says that he's not much of a dancer. The palm reader replies that she can see that too. - In "Bye Bye Ball" Robby watches Hannah and Joey Vitolo (Joey FatoneJoey FatoneJoseph Anthony "Joey" Fatone, Jr. is an American singer, dancer, actor and television personality. He is best known as a member of the boyband, 'N Sync, in which he sang baritone. In 2007, he came in second place on the ABC reality show Dancing with the Stars...
) dancing and comments "If I could dance like that I'd give myself a 10," referencing to his appearance on Dancing with the Stars. Fatone had appeared on the show on the same season Cyrus performed. - In "The Way We Almost Weren't," Jackson and Miley experience a flashbackFlashback (narrative)Flashback is an interjected scene that takes the narrative back in time from the current point the story has reached. Flashbacks are often used to recount events that happened before the story’s primary sequence of events or to fill in crucial backstory...
to June 2, 1987 where they meet Robby in a New MexicoNew MexicoNew Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
cafe. He is trying to write "Achy Breaky Heart," but is struggling with the right adjectives, first trying "itchy twitchy" and "herky jerky." When Jackson suggests "achy breaky," Robby dismisses it as "the dumbest thing I've ever heard." - In "Can't Get Home to You Girl", a fan of Robby Ray offer to take Miley and Robby to the airport in Tucson. He refers to Robby as "Mullet Man" and "The Achy Breaky Robby Ray",and asks him for a picture. Later, they are shown on the road in the fan's truck, singing "I Want My Mullet Back".
Since Billy Ray Cyrus impersonated himself with his character, this hints that Cyrus and his daughter Miley may exist in the show's universe.