After Billy Ray Cyrus and Firerose sparked engagement rumors, fans couldn't help but pose a burning question: Just who is she?
The Australian singer's first public connection to Miley Cyrus' dad came in 2021 when they released their single "New Day." They later worked together on another single, "Time," and continued to hang out, as seen in their Instagrams.
One of her September posts, showing her wear a diamond ring, spurred fans to speculate they were engaged and, on Oct. 18, both she and Billy Ray appeared to confirm the rumors by sharing more pics of her wearing the eye-catching bling.
The news comes just six months Billy Ray's wife Tish Cyrus filed for divorce after almost 30 years of marriage. She cited "irreconcilable differences" as the reason for the split, adding that she and Billy Ray have lived separately since February 2020.
Find out more about Billy Ray's rumored fiancée, Firerose:
What is Firerose's real name?
Firerose is often credited as Johanna Rosie Hodges on several tracks, such as "New Day" and "Fragile Handling." She has also gone by Rose Hodges and "Miss Rosie" on songs like "Until I Had You" and "Be With You" respectively.
Firerose is credited as a songwriter by the name of Johanna Rosie Hodges on many of the songs she registered with performance rights organizations Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) and American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). She has also gone by Rose Hodges and "Miss Rosie."
Where did Firerose grow up?
At age 19, Firerose moved from Sydney to Los Angeles. There, she began performing at The Viper Room and The Rainbow Room and also traveled to play at SXSW, according to the Tennessee Star.
When did Firerose start making music?
Firerose told the newspaper she grew up in a musical family, taught herself to play the piano and started writing songs as soon as she could speak. "I would get home from school and write a song about my day," she said, "and thought that it was a normal thing to do."
She cites the Beatles, Elvis Presley and country star Shania Twain among the acts that inspired her, adding that she remembers listening to the latter and thinking, "This is the meaning of life."
How did Billy Ray Cyrus and Firerose meet?
"We actually met 10 years ago on the set of Hannah Montana," Firerose said on Live With Kelly and Ryan in 2021, referring to the '00s Disney Channel show starring Billy Ray and Miley.
Since then, he's "been a phenomenal supporter of my music," she added. "He's just really believed in me and continued to tell me to pursue my dreams no matter what and not give up. The music industry is not easy, but he's been just a really, really incredible support."
How did Billy Ray and Firerose's musical collaboration begin?
According to American Songwriter, Firerose initially wrote most of the song "New Day" on her own, during a challenging time before the COVID-19 pandemic. Feeling the track needed to be released ASAP, she turned to Billy Ray to help complete the single.
The two then co-wrote the song over Zoom and recorded it using other virtual platforms, with her in Los Angeles and him in Tennessee. The song's music video contained frames from a FaceTime chat.
"Firerose is the very definition of persistence, combined with a tremendous amount of talent as a songsmith, vocalist and producer," Billy Ray told American Songwriter. "Her persistence has paid off, she's getting her chance. That's all you can ever ask for in this business. She earned it. She never gave up. I admire that."