American music legend Tom Petty died of a heart attack a week after he wound up his 40th Anniversary Tour. He was only 66. The outpouring of grief was swift and extensive. Miley hadn’t planned on playing Wildflower during her Tonight Show run to promote her Younger Now LP. She ran through the song with her band for the first time the night after Tom died, Tuesday night, and played it fresh and sore the next morning in tribute on the Howard Stern Radio Show. The Stern version is less polished.
The comments on Miley’s Thursday night Tonight Show version of Wildflowers fall into 3 categories. First, there’s delight at Miley’s singing (that low end!) – some viewers are surprised; others admire her broad cross-genre range. Second, the performance is appreciated as a moving tribute to Petty. Third, viewers are touched by Miley’s relationship with her father. I’ll give some examples, but first, here is Wildflowers on the Stern Show. If you listen closely, aware of the moment … goosebumps.
The relationship between pop superstar Miley Cyrus and her one-hit-wonder-turned-Disney-Channel-actor father, Billy Ray Cyrus, has made headlines. Miley’s parents divorced when Billy Ray dated a woman younger than his famous daughter. Miley Cyrus was not amused. Miley did not attend her father’s wedding to Firerose in October 2023, and she did not acknowledge her father in her 2024 Record-of-the-Year Grammy acceptance speech. Now Billy Ray, 62, has separated from Firerose, 34, (already!).
Most Music Man readers will be delighted to know that there are signs of rapprochement between father and daughter. Those who don’t care either way will surely be swayed by this video of Miley and Billy Ray Cyrus covering Tom Petty’s Wildflower during Miley’s weeklong stint on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. Tom Petty died on Monday, 2 October 2017. This moving tribute was performed that Thursday. The manifest bond between Miley and her Stetson-wearing dad adds to the feels.
Now for those comments about the prime-time TV Tonight Show version. Celticat writes, “The Lady can sing. I’ve completely changed my mind about her. There is something exceptional behind the hype and bullshit!” Micro Dave says, “This girl can sing anything. The range she has is amazing, I’ve become a fan.” Sarah Kuhn writes, “Tom was my favourite artist. Wildflowers was the song I picked for my father/daughter dance for my wedding. I can’t get over how much you did this song justice, Miley.”
Anonymous confesses that Miley’s last notes brought tears to her eyes. She continues, “I hate to be ‘that kind’ of person, but her dress and blonde hair, and with her dad playing the guitar, give me Hannah Montana feels.” Too Chillery notes, “I love how Billy didn’t do anything to take away from his daughter in this performance. Like any real dad would do. Respect.” With many others, Bad Sama Jama picks up on the most poignant moment of the song (when Miley says “Ready Dad”), writing: “‘Ready Dad’… I love that, it’s so cute! I’m 100% jealous. I miss my Dad so freaking much.”
TMZ reports that Billy Ray Cyrus is seeking to have his marriage to Firerose annulled, alleging fraud. The couple separated in May 2024. In June 2024 Miley addressed the rift with her father on David Letterman’s Netflix show, where she agreed with the host’s suggestion that “It’s just the way it’s been played.” Miley then praised her father and her mother, Tish, for the way they raised her. Ready Dad….
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