Billy Ray Cyrus defends inauguration performance amid technical issues
Billy Ray Cyrus recently spoke out about his performance at the Liberty Inaugural Ball honoring President Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20, 2025, in Washington, DC. Despite facing technical difficulties that left his guitar and microphone inaudible at times, Cyrus remained positive about the experience. “I wouldn’t have missed the honor of playing this event whether my microphone, guitar, and monitors worked or not,” Cyrus said.
“I was there because President Donald J. Trump invited me.”
During his performance, Cyrus attempted to play Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road,” but sound issues persisted. He tried to engage the audience by clapping along and singing several songs a cappella.
When the producer says, ‘You’re on,’ you go entertain the folks even if the equipment goes to hell. I was there for the people, and we had a blast. That’s called rock n roll!” he declared.
At one point, Cyrus discovered his guitar had been cut off and repeatedly asked for technical assistance. “Is anybody awake? I don’t hear it.
Do y’all hear this?
Cyrus perseveres through technical difficulties
Where’s everybody at? Check.
Is anyone back there? Can someone turn my guitar back on? We gonna sing a little bit more,” he said.
Despite a guitar tech’s attempt to resolve the issue, the problems continued. Cyrus ultimately asked his fans to “just snap your fingers” and concluded his performance with a portion of “Achy Breaky Heart” a cappella before leaving the stage. In a statement to People magazine, Cyrus defended his performance: “I had a ball at the Liberty Ball last night, and I’ve learned through all these years when the producer says, ‘You’re on,’ you go entertain the folks even if the equipment goes to hell.
I was there for the people, and we had a blast. That’s called rock ‘n’ roll!!!”
Cyrus wasn’t the only performer to face technical issues. Carrie Underwood also experienced difficulties during her performance at Trump’s swearing-in ceremony.
When the instrumental track for “America the Beautiful” failed to play, Underwood chose to sing the song a cappella, impressing the audience with her quick thinking and vocal prowess. Despite the challenges, the performances were met with applause from the crowd, showcasing the resilience and talent of the artists involved. As Billy Ray Cyrus pointed out, the show must go on, and he remained dedicated to entertaining the audience under any circumstances.
