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Four years ago, Miley Cyrus was a young unknown making her debut on a Disney Channel comedy series, "Hannah Montana," with her real-life father, country singer Billy Ray Cyrus, playing her dad on the show.

The premise, an average teenager named Miley Stewart who moonlights as a rock star in a blonde wig named Hannah Montana, became an instant sensation. In no time at all, Cyrus was recording "Hannah Montana" soundtracks, embarking on a "Hannah Montana" singing tour, filming a concert movie and starring in a "Hannah Montana" feature film.

Now it's all about to come to an end. When season four, titled "Hannah Montana Forever," premieres on Sunday, July 11, on Disney Channel, it will be the final one as Cyrus has been eager to do her own thing. In fact, she has started already.

Cyrus, now 17, made her non- "Hannah" feature film debut earlier this year in "The Last Song," based on a Nicholas Sparks novel. She just released her third non-"Hannah" album, "Can't be Tamed," raising eyebrows with a music video of her in skimpy outfits being groped by back-up dancers.

"I can't base my career off of the six-year-olds," Cyrus told reporters recently. "It's the 16-year-olds, the 26-year-olds I'm trying to reach for now. I have to move on."

The independently wealthy teenager just purchased her own home and said she plans to move into it after she wraps her current project, the independent film feature "LOL (Laughing Out Loud)," opposite Demi Moore.

In the film, which is based on a French movie, Cyrus plays a teenager hanging out with the wrong crowd, dabbling in drugs and questionable boys. The actress said the project is "definitely not for the 'Hannah Montana' audience."

"TIME TO TURN THE PAGE"

Her father Billy Ray, whose own music career experienced a resurgence thanks to the success of the show, has a new album coming out this summer and plans to tour.

"I'm very thankful for what we've been through (with the show,)" said Billy Ray. "But it's time to turn the page."

But for one more year, their 'tween audience gets to enjoy Cyrus as "Hannah Montana." Viewers see the Stewart family move to a ranch where a horse is now part of the cast. Miley Stewart must decide if she's going to continue her Hannah persona, or join her best friend Lily in going to college.

And there will be plenty of famous guest stars including singer Sheryl Crowe, hip hop star Iyaz, Ray Liotta, Christine Taylor, Dr. Phil McGraw, Jay Leno and Kelly Ripa.

Vicki Lawrence and Dolly Parton return, with Parton singing a duet with Billy Ray. Also, expect a tribute to the military.

Yet as much as Cyrus has already mentally moved on from the show, it was her decision to come back for one more go-around, despite already fulfilling her commitment to Disney at the end of season three.

Her father said his daughter felt fans deserved another season to take the series to a conclusion, rather than leaving things open-ended.

"This year didn't have to happen, but we did it because we thought it was the right thing to do," he said. "I left it up to Miley (to decide). I'm very proud of her that she made what I consider to be a very honorable choice."

(Editing by Jill Serjeant)

Miley Cyrus has shown her support for her 'fairy godmother' Dolly Parton in celebrating the 25th anniversary of the theme park Dollywood. Miley joined the country great for a series of songs to help mark the major landmark in her real-life godmother's career.

Dolly recalled: "Billy Ray and I are friends from way back, and when Miley was born Billy asked me if I would be her fairy godmother. "Of course I accepted and couldn't be prouder of Miley."
Miley helped Dolly by singing Jolene onstage and then Miley and Billy Ray joined Dolly singing My Tennessee Mountain Home and Romeo, a song she wrote about Billy Ray because of the effect he had on women.
"When he first hit the scene he was the sexiest thing in the world!" Dolly told Miley, admitting she had a crush on him, too. "I was a little older and I was married - but I ain't dead!"
Dolly was also joined by Kenny Rogers who she joked 'people have us married together' because their careers have been so closely linked. She recalled the opening day of Dollywood 25 years earlier, saying: "I tell you, my stomach was full of butterflies because wasn't sure anyone would show up. "Boy was I wrong about that one! It was one of the best days of my life."
(Image: Splash News)

Former "Baywatch" star Pamela Anderson was eliminated from television's "Dancing With the Stars" competition on Tuesday, leaving just five celebrities in the running for the finale.

Anderson, 42, who had finished in the bottom two several times this season despite mostly good reviews from the judges, received the lowest votes from the public this week for her fairy-tale waltz with professional partner Damian Andrews.

Popular ESPN sports reporter Erin Andrews also found herself at risk of elimination on Tuesday after ending in the bottom two in a shock result that judge Len Goodman called "absolutely heartbreaking."

Canadian-born Anderson, a former Playboy model, found worldwide fame as a buxom lifeguard in the 1990s TV series "Baywatch".

But the almost 20 million viewers for ABC television's "Dancing With the Stars" never seemed to take to her, despite performances on the show in which she emulated other famous blondes including Marilyn Monroe and Dolly Parton.

Anderson, along with eliminated contestants astronaut Buzz Aldrin and TV reality mother of eight Kate Gosselin, has helped the 10th season of "Dancing With the Stars" to its biggest audiences ever.

The remaining five celebrities are Pussycat Dolls singer and favorite Nicole Scherzinger, Olympic ice skater Evan Lysacek, Andrews, actress and "Clean House" host Niecy Nash and footballer Chad Ochocinco.

The finale will be broadcast in mid-May.

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant)

Miley Cyrus believes her godmother Dolly Parton is "the nicest person in the world".

The 17-year-old singer and actress admits she feels close to the '9 to 5' hitmaker because she gives good advice.

She said: "She is the nicest person in the world. She's so easy to talk to. She's awesome. I love her.

"She always tells me just to do what I love and if I'm not having fun it's not working. I don't know how old she is at this point but every time she is on the stage she is smiling from ear to ear."

Dolly Parton doesn't believe celebrity marriages last.

The '9 To 5' singer claims her 44-year union with spouse Carl Dean works so well because he stays out of the spotlight and they never need to compete with one another.

She said: "There are so many break-ups that the names pass me by but it makes me think, if you want to escape the spotlight why marry another famous person? It's never going to work.

"You're either in competition or your priorities are different. Your schedules will always clash so you'll never see each other.

"My husband is a homebody and has nothing to do with the celebrity world. We've been married 44 years and have worked so well together because we're not in the same business."

Dolly admits she doesn't think she and Carl would still be together if he had tried to embark on a career in showbusiness.

She added: "I met my husband before I became a star and he doesn't care about any of it.

"If I'd married someone in the same business, it would never have lasted.

Dolly Parton gets up at 3am to put her make-up on.

The country singer - who has had a number of cosmetic surgery procedures, including having her breasts enlarged to a 40DD cup - still takes a great deal of pride in her appearance at 64 and likes to look perfect for her husband Carl Dean when he wakes up.

Dolly - who has been wed to Carl for 44 years - said: "I usually get up at 3am. I don't require a lot of sleep and if I get tired, I'll take a powernap during the day.

"When my Carl is awake, I'll put on my make-up and roll my hair a little, because I don't want to look bad for him, do I?"

Dolly also insists she never had sex with anyone to further her career when she was starting out in the tough, male dominated country music industry.

She said in an interview with the Daily Mail newspaper: "When starting out, I looked easy and people didn't take me seriously. I always looked like I could be had and I still do! But the truth was, I couldn't.

"I'd be offered jobs and then before the deal was done, they'd say, 'Would you like to come up to my room?'

"I'd say, 'I don't need the job that bad, and I'll never do that to get ahead.'

"People still thought I was cheap and though it was painful at times, I knew that that talk would be short-lived."

Dolly also rubbished rumours of affairs with any of her handsome film co-stars, which include Burt Reynolds and Sylvester Stallone, saying she could never love anyone other than the reclusive Carl, a former construction worker.

Carrie Underwood showed her humorous side as she dressed up as Dolly Parton to meet the country legend. Dolly was the big guest on the young singer's own Christmas TV special and Carrie came out to meet her in an outrageous wig, padded boobs and skin-tight outfit.

"I've always wondered what it would feel like to be Dolly Parton so I borrowed some of your stuff," she told her.

Dolly, insisting it was "flattering" and telling Carrie she was "one of my favorites", then quipped: "We look like we could be working down on the corner as a team!"
Carrie got to dress up again as she was joined by Kristen Chenoweth and Christina Applegate to pay tribute to '60s girl-group pop, wearing pink prom dresses and beehive hairdos.

Since winning "American Idol" in 2005, country singer Carrie Underwood has become one of the show's highest selling graduates, but she warned the latest crop of "Idol" finalists to "stay true" to their fans if they want to find similar success.

Underwood, who on Monday spoke to reporters during a conference call, will star next month in a holiday special, and she just released her second consecutive chart-topping album, "Play On."

As it happens, three finalists from this past season of top-rated U.S. television show "American Idol," a reality singing competition, are about to release their own albums.

"I feel like any contestant that comes off 'Idol' that does well on 'Idol' has to stay true to what people voted for," Underwood said, in response to a question.

"I've seen it happen a few times where people are one thing on the show, and then they got off the show and try to do something else," she said.

Underwood, 26, said that she finds it "really strange" when "Idol" contestants change their musical style after leaving the show, because through their votes viewers tell contestants "what they want."

On Tuesday, "Idol" champion Kris Allen will release his first album since winning the title in May. Allen told Reuters this month that his self-titled disc will include elements from different musical styles, from pop to the blues.

Also, "Idol" runner-up Adam Lambert's album "For Your Entertainment" will hit stores on November 23, and fourth-place finisher Allison Iraheta will release her album "Just Like You" on December 1.

Underwood said she was a fan of Kris Allen's this year, and also third-place finisher Danny Gokey, whose country-style debut album is expected early next year.

Meanwhile, the four-time Grammy winner will star on December 7 in a two-hour variety program called "Carrie Underwood: An All-Star Holiday Special," on Fox, which is also the network behind "American Idol."

Underwood will be joined on-stage by country icon Dolly Parton, Grammy winner Brad Paisley, 2008 "Idol" winner David Cook and by singer and actress Kristin Chenoweth.

Underwood said that when she performed alongside Parton recently, it was a "dream come true."

"When Dolly's there, you just sort of step out of the spotlight and let her do her thing, because no matter how hard you try she's going to steal the spotlight, and it's great," Underwood said.

Former "Idol" contestant Jennifer Hudson, who won a Grammy this year for her debut album, will also star in a holiday special this season. Her program, "Home for the Holidays," will air on December 14 on ABC.

Carrie Underwood just spent several hours sitting in Audio Productions -- a Music Row radio and TV production facility -- doing interviews with radio stations across the country, but she looks fresh and relaxed as she prepares for her final chat of the day.

She talks with the engineer about how excited she is to hear Miranda Lambert's new CD, "Revolution." And when someone offers to give her a copy, Underwood sweetly protests, "Oh, no, I'm going to buy it."

It's that combination of girl-next-door charm and a killer set of pipes that has made Underwood the best-selling artist to emerge from "American Idol" in any genre. Since winning the fourth season of the Fox competition, Underwood has released two albums, the 2005 "Some Hearts," which has sold 6.8 million, according to Nielsen SoundScan, and the 2007 "Carnival Ride," which has sold 2.9 million. She's won four Grammy Awards and numerous other accolades, including three Country Music Association female vocalist titles and three Academy of Country Music female vocalist honors. Last spring, she took home the ACM's entertainer of the year award, becoming only the seventh woman in the show's 42-year history to earn that accolade.

With such impressive accomplishments just four years into her career, one might expect Underwood to feel a little pressure before the Tuesday (November 3) release of her new Arista Nashville album, "Play On." Instead, she radiates a quiet confidence.

"I feel like the second album had the most pressure for me," she says, acknowledging that she felt the first one had a shot at succeeding because of her built-in "Idol" audience. Then it exceeded expectations. "It kept going and kept going and kept going, and the next thing it was like triple platinum and quadruple platinum and five times platinum, and it was like 'Oh, my gosh!'"

'I'M HOME'

Looking svelte in a black sweatshirt dress with a red belt, red bracelet and red Marc Jacobs flats, 26-year-old Underwood is the epitome of casual chic -- but don't mistake laid-back for unambitious.

"I want to be somebody in the music business, not just somebody that (people say), 'Oh, yeah, five years ago she won that. Where did she go?' So making ("Carnival Ride") was pretty stressful, but on this one I feel like I'm home," she says. "I'm in the music business. When people mention names like Kenny Chesney and Keith Urban and Brad Paisley, sometimes my name is in there too."

Of the 13 tracks on "Play On," Underwood co-write seven. "I'm not an easy person to get to know, and I feel like I keep a lot of myself closed off to the world," she says. "It's really nice to be able to scratch the surface and to be able to open myself up a little more."

In recording "Play On," Underwood once again worked with producer Mark Bright, who produced "Carnival Ride" and seven tracks on "Some Hearts." "Over the summer, we spent more time with arrangements, and Carrie experimented more than ever with vocal textures," Bright says. "What came out on the other side is extraordinary. I think we got it right."

Underwood says she trusts Bright, and that makes recording a more comfortable process. "I've known him now for five years," she says. "I've worked with him on every album, and I trust him and he trusts me. I'm comfortable with him now -- whereas in the beginning it was like, 'Oh, my gosh. This guy is a big-time producer. What if I do bad?' I was really afraid to mess up. Now I'm not afraid to screw up. I can screw up royally when I'm in the studio and it's OK. I trust him."

In the past, Underwood co-wrote with a stable of Music Row tunesmiths including Hillary Lindsey and Luke Laird, who co-wrote "So Small" and "Last Name," and Brett James, who co-wrote "Jesus Take the Wheel" with Lindsey and Gordie Sampson. For "Play On," she expanded her circle to collaborate with "American Idol" judge/BMI 2007 pop songwriter of the year Kara DioGuardi; Mike Elizondo, known for his work with Dr. Dre and Eminem; and Raine Maida, co-founder of the rock band Our Lady Peace, and his wife, Canadian singer Chantal Kreviazuk.

"I listen to all kinds of music, all genres," Underwood says. "Bringing somebody from a different world into my world to see what their influence can do in my writing style -- it's a lot of fun."

These new collaborations don't mean that Underwood's about to switch genres -- she's still a country girl at heart. "I'm promising right now it would never happen," she says.

MULTIGENERATIONAL APPEAL

Judging by the success of the first single, "Cowboy Casanova," "Play On" looks sure to follow the platinum path of its predecessors. In its first week, "Casanova" sold 110,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. "An unfinished version leaked," Underwood says of the label rushing the finished version to radio. "It was really frustrating, but then it was exciting too. Radio stations were immediately putting it into heavy rotation and it was like, 'Oh, my gosh, this is good.'"

Sony Music Nashville chairman Joe Galante attributes much of Underwood's success to her multigenerational appeal. "Carrie goes from cradle to grave," he says of her fans. "She has positioned herself as somebody that cares about this format deeply. She is a country artist. She's made it very plain."

In the past four years, Underwood has dominated country radio with such No. 1 hits as "Jesus Take the Wheel," "Before He Cheats," "Wasted," "All-American Girl," "So Small" and "Just a Dream." Galante speaks with obvious pride of how Underwood has handled success. "I think it all hit her like a ton of bricks in the first couple of years, and now this year has been easier," he says. "Carrie has grown up a lot, considering she got dropped into this format on her head, not on her feet, and people were standing on the sidelines going, 'You're not really country, you're a TV show star.' I think she's impressed the heck out of people by her reverence for country music."

Underwood's manager, Simon Fuller, chief executive of 19 Entertainment and creator of the "Idol" franchise, has high expectations for "Play On." "I think we'll exceed the success of the last album with this album," he says. "It's stronger in depth and there's more variety."

'ORGANIZED STALKING'

Part of the efforts to alert Underwood's fans that there's a new album coming involved revamping her Web site, CarrieUnderwoodOfficial.com, to be more community-based and allow for fan participation.

One thing Underwood doesn't plan to use is Twitter. "It just sounds like organized stalking to me," she says. "I'll be in a restaurant and I'll get home and somebody tweeted and talked about what I ordered and what I was wearing. In some cases that could be dangerous because you don't want everybody to know where you are in every second of every day." (Someone is posing as Underwood on Twitter, in the comments on her Web site and on MySpace, and she warns fans that it isn't her.)

Though some alumni tire of talking about their "Idol" backgrounds and try to distance themselves from the show, Underwood says she'll always be appreciative. "I do credit the show for every single thing that I have," she says, "and as long as they want me to come back year to year and perform, I am so there."

She'll also stake out new territory on the small screen, with her first TV special, slated to air December 7 on Fox. Guests will include Paisley, Dolly Parton and David Cook. Nearer at hand, Underwood looks forward to co-hosting the CMA Awards and embarking on her new tour in 2010.

"We'll go into rehearsals early next year, but it's going to be bigger. It's going to be awesome. We're pulling out all the stops," says Underwood, who was the top-ranked female country touring artist of 2008, according to Billboard Boxscore, grossing $27.1 million from 90 shows.

"I don't need to make any money, let's just do this," Underwood jokingly told her handlers about the tour. "Let's just step it up. I know everybody is going to say, 'Oh, my gosh. This cost what?' But, shoot, we can come back next year with an acoustic tour. This year let's just go for broke."

(Editing by SheriLinden at Reuters)

When Miley Cyrus wanted to shift from the tween roles that have defined her career, her mother and co-manager started at the top.

Rather than look for a pre-existing script, Tish Cyrus contacted bestselling author Nicholas Sparks ("The Notebook") and asked him to write something specifically for her daughter.

"Sparks is an amazing, faith-based writer and a Christian and he writes about relationships with a family and there is nothing about sex or things I felt were wrong for her," she explains.

Cyrus, 16, met with the writer to flesh out her character; she disclosed elements from her own life -- like her love for animals -- that Sparks incorporated in his work, which started as a screenplay and only later became "The Last Song," a best-selling novel. The movie version, with Cyrus, opens in April.

"This film is like taking that first baby step away from 'Hannah Montana,'" Tish Cyrus notes. "It's just a baby step, but she's doing something different."

Doing something different is one of many perfect moves the Cyrus team has made in building her career. Taken together, they're a textbook case on how to develop a young performer.

While few young actors can hope to emulate Cyrus' success, the 5,000 members of the Screen Actors Guild who are younger than 18 will face many of the same decisions that affect whether they succeed or fail.

Speak to agents, managers, producers and studio executives and they will tell you several key elements go into crafting a young actor's career: picking the right team; handling money astutely; maintaining an education trajectory; and diversifying away from roles that too narrowly define the performer.

The first step in building a career, of course, is finding the right management.

"It's important to choose a representative who knows how to make career decisions slowly," says Cyrus' co-manager, Jason Morey.

"You have to have someone who has a plan," adds Frederick Levy, the owner of a talent firm, Management 101, and the author of "Acting in Young Hollywood."

Cyrus was lucky to have a father, singer-actor Billy Ray Cyrus, involved in show business and a mother immersed in her work. But parents can be a two-edged sword: If parents become what Levy calls "the momagers and popagers," trouble looms.

"I like the parents most who look at acting as if they have a kid on a soccer team or baseball team," says producer Matt Dearborn, who has had shows on Nickelodeon and Disney Channel, including the new "Zeke and Luther" on Disney XD. "It gets problematic when they start reading scripts or complain about parking spaces."

Others with prominent stage parents -- like Katherine Heigl, who started out as a child performer and whose mother has continued to work closely with her -- have proved mixed blessings. Indeed, sources say that in Heigl's case, one management company told her to choose between the firm and her mother.

When Cyrus' career began to blossom, her mother got the best advice she could on who should represent her daughter. Dolly Parton suggested Morey Management Group and its patriarch, Jim Morey; his son, Jason, began managing Cyrus' career, along with her mother.

"Dolly said the Moreys are people you can trust around your daughter," Tish Cyrus recalls, "and she said they have good morals, which is not always the case in this business."

Tish Cyrus also hired her husband's business manager to handle her daughter's finances -- another crucial element as a career expands.

"It's kind of scary to think what can happen to a child's money," she notes. "Parents quit their jobs, and to support their family they have to use a child's money to survive."

At least 15% of any earnings by law must now be set aside in a blocked account that no one can touch until a young performer reaches the age of 18. But unscrupulous parents or managers can sometimes siphon that away and there have been famous instances of lawsuits wielding accusations on all sides -- as with Macaulay Culkin, the "Home Alone" star who failed to build on that franchise's momentum.

"So many kids have worked and, when they look back, there's nothing left," Tish Cyrus adds. "That's why we hired someone we can trust."

A solid education has become increasingly important to child performers and gives them the intellectual and emotional foundation that allows them to move into adulthood. Those who have succeeded best in crafting long careers -- like Jodie Foster, Brooke Shields and Natalie Portman -- have made sure to take time off for college and used their earnings to pay for it.

Today, the industry is more vigilant than ever with regard to education.

Any producer who hires a minor and guarantees three or more days of consecutive employment must also employ a teacher during regularly scheduled high school or grammar school periods.

Cyrus' teacher takes her on educational field trips when she's on location. She also "knows the child labor laws and won't let her work one minute over the rules," Cyrus' mother says. "If they take Miley on a photo shoot and they want 15 more minutes, she won't let them."

Aware of how challenging it is to build a career, many studios and networks are now stepping in -- like Disney Channel and Nickelodeon, which have set up their own professional guidance programs for new talent, Nick 101 and Talent 101 at Disney.

Disney Channel recently opened a session of Talent 101 in a conference room at the studio's Burbank lot. About 20 cast members from various shows attended.

"For some, this is their first time in the business and this is a snapshot about what changes will be in their lives," says Judy Taylor, Disney Channel's executive vp, casting and talent relations. "They're told what it will be like to be a public figure."

Seven young performers and their parents recently showed up for similar coaching in Nickelodeon's green room before shooting "Victorious," a new sitcom starring Victoria Justice. There, agents, producers and members of the network's press department and cable channel executives tutored them on such fundamentals as how to dress for media interviews and how to deal with fans. Learning how to operate in the business is becoming more essential. The business opportunities are growing, which means that kids have to learn to deal with hard business issues more than ever before. They also need to learn about money.

"This is a kids' network," says Paula Kaplan, Nickelodeon's executive vp for talent, "and this is a show for kids. We give them the nuts and bolts. We tell them this is what we expect from them as professionals. We expect you to be on time and be prepared. This isn't like school where your mom writes a letter. This is a business."