Billy Ray Cyrus on Song Inspired by Caitlyn Jenner: The Ram Report

Billy Ray Cyrus’s recently-released new album Thin Line features a mix of cover tunes and originals, one of which was inspired by the story of Caitlyn Jenner. “Hope (Let It Find You)” is about having faith in the toughest of circumstances and even caught the ear of rock singer Glenn Hughes.

“There was an interview. . . I had seen Caitlyn saying, ‘I just want to represent hope,'” Cyrus tells Rolling Stone Country. “Well, I also knew Bruce, and Bruce wanted to represent hope. He liked to fly helicopters and one time he wanted to come to Tennessee and fly helicopters, film the countryside. Then life takes a crazy turn: I went to Broadway and then Hurricane Sandy hit, and then I went to film the original pilot of Still the King, and before I knew it two or three years passed by and a lot of things changed. But the one thing that remained the same was the common denominator of hope.”

Hughes, who served as co-frontman for hard rock pioneers Deep Purple in the Seventies before embarking on a solo career, heard Cyrus’ “Hope (Let It Find You)” and was moved by the message.

“Glenn Hughes is like, ‘Man, I love what this song says. It’s so powerful,'” reports Cyrus, who also enlisted Hughes to sing on Thin Line‘s “Hey Elvis.” “And I said, ‘Well, come up to the microphone.’ Next thing I knew, he was in there just belting it out.”

Thin Line is Cyrus’ first full-length album since 2012’s rock-tinged Change My Mind and features numerous notable guests, including daughter Miley Cyrus and Shooter Jennings. Additionally, Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry appears on a version of “Tulsa Time,” while Shelby Lynne turns up on both the title track and “Sunday Morning Coming Down.”

Cyrus also stars in CMT’s original comedy series Still the King, which has recently been renewed for a second season. In the show, Cyrus plays a one-hit-wonder and Elvis impersonator who seems to court trouble at every turn.