Jeffrey Steele Pals With Miley Cyrus

Songwriter Jeffrey Steele

Nov. 25, 2008 — When Miley Cyrus appears in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday, she’ll be featured — probably lip-synching, a parade tradition — to "I Thought I Lost You," a song she co-wrote with Nashville composer Jeffrey Steele for the new movie Bolt.

Jeffrey is actually a longtime friend of the Cyrus family. He was in a band called Boy Howdy during the early-1990s, and he became buddies with Miley’s dad, Billy Ray Cyrus, about the time that "Achy Breaky Heart" was released in spring 1992.

"We had similar mullets," Jeffrey laughs, "and we've been friends ever since."

Miley was born in November 1992, months after "Achy Breaky" propelled Billy Ray to stardom, and he often brought the family out to see Jeffrey do shows when he performed in Nashville. Miley actually recorded another one of Jeffrey’s tunes, "Simple Song," on her Breakout album, and she was instrumental in convincing Disney that he was the right guy to help her write a song for Bolt, which turned out to be "I Thought I Lost You."

Disney is "all really excited about it now and talkin’ about maybe being nominated for an Oscar," Jeffrey laughs. "I’m like, ‘Well, whatever.’"

It would be a first for him, though he’s certainly tasted success in other ways. Among the hits written by Jeffrey, who appeared in the GAC series The Hit Men Of Music Row, are Craig Morgan’s "International Harvester," Steve Holy’s "Brand New Girlfriend," Rascal Flatts’ "What Hurts The Most" and Phil Vassar’s "Love Is A Beautiful Thing."