6 6 . ▁His ▁grand father ▁was ▁a ▁Pent ec ost al ▁pre acher . ▁G row ing ▁up , ▁he ▁was ▁surrounded ▁by ▁bl u egr ass ▁and ▁g ospel ▁music ▁from ▁his ▁family . ▁His ▁right - hand ed ▁father ▁played ▁guitar , ▁however ▁left - hand ed ▁C yrus ▁tried ▁to ▁play ▁his ▁father ' s ▁guitar , ▁but ▁could ▁not . ▁He ▁attended ▁Ge or get own ▁College ▁on ▁a ▁baseball ▁scholar ship ▁before ▁changing ▁to ▁music . ▁He ▁dropped ▁out ▁of ▁Ge or get own ▁during ▁his ▁junior ▁year , ▁realized ▁he ▁wanted ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁music ian ▁after ▁att ending ▁a ▁Neil ▁Diam ond ▁concert , ▁and ▁set ▁a ▁ 1 0 - month ▁goal ▁to ▁start ▁a ▁career . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s , ▁he ▁played ▁in ▁a ▁band ▁called ▁S ly ▁Dog , ▁before ▁signing ▁a ▁record ▁contract ▁with ▁Mercur y ▁Nash ville ▁Records . ▁S ly ▁Dog ▁was ▁named ▁after ▁a ▁one - ey ed ▁dog ▁that ▁C yrus ▁owned . ▁ ▁Music ▁career ▁ ▁The ▁Mercur y ▁Records ▁years ▁While ▁trying ▁to ▁get ▁a ▁recording ▁contract ▁in ▁Los ▁Angeles , ▁C yrus ▁suffered ▁many ▁hard ships ▁including ▁living ▁in ▁his ▁neighbor ' s ▁car . ▁However , ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 0 , ▁he ▁was ▁signed ▁to ▁Poly G ram / Mer cur y . ▁That ▁same ▁year , ▁he ▁opened ▁for ▁Reb a ▁Mc Ent ire . ▁C yrus ▁began ▁to ▁record ▁and ▁write ▁music ▁for ▁his