Firerose — born Johanna Rosie Hodges on December 11, 1988 — is 37 years old as of 2026, an Australian singer-songwriter whose name became global tabloid currency after her whirlwind marriage to Billy Ray Cyrus and their subsequent divorce. The 27-year age gap between them fueled endless headlines, but Firerose’s story started long before any Cyrus connection.
She grew up in Sydney in a family of symphony musicians, trained at one of Australia’s top performing arts schools, and moved to Los Angeles alone at 19 to chase a music career. She first crossed paths with Billy Ray Cyrus while auditioning for a role on Hannah Montana around 2008. Over a decade later, they married — and split within months.
The divorce dominated entertainment news in 2024. What got less coverage was everything else: her real name, her musical catalog, her age relative to Miley Cyrus, and where her career stands now. Those details matter more than the gossip.
How Old Is Firerose? Age, Birthday, and Key Bio Facts
Firerose is 37 years old, born on December 11, 1988, in Sydney, Australia. She will turn 38 in December 2026. Her birth name is Johanna Rosie Hodges, though she has also been credited professionally as Rose Hodges and Miss Rosie before settling on the stage name Firerose.
According to Famous Birthdays, her December 11 birthdate places her under the Sagittarius zodiac sign. She stands 5 feet 8 inches (1.73 m) tall, per her IMDB biography page.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Birth Name | Johanna Rosie Hodges |
| Stage Name | Firerose |
| Date of Birth | December 11, 1988 |
| Age (2026) | 37, turning 38 in December |
| Zodiac Sign | Sagittarius |
| Birthplace | Sydney, Australia |
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) |
| Nationality | Australian |
Firerose is a pop and country-pop artist who has released music independently since 2019. She gained significant public attention through her relationship with country legend Billy Ray Cyrus, but her professional career in music predates that relationship by over a decade.
Firerose’s Real Name and Early Life in Australia
Firerose’s real name is Johanna Rosie Hodges, a fact confirmed by IMDB and multiple news outlets including the Daily Mail and the South China Morning Post. She adopted the stage name Firerose when she began pursuing music professionally — a name that fuses raw intensity with something softer, mirroring the emotional range of her songwriting.
Growing Up in Sydney
Hodges grew up in Sydney, New South Wales, in what she has described as “a family of symphony musicians.” That classical foundation shaped her ear for melody and arrangement, even though her own music would eventually land in pop and country territory rather than the concert hall.
She attended the Newtown School of the Performing Arts, one of Australia’s leading secondary schools for performing and visual arts. The school — officially known as Newtown High School of the Performing Arts — has produced graduates across music, theater, and dance. Firerose’s training there gave her a formal grounding in performance that most pop singer-songwriters lack.
Moving to Los Angeles at 19
At age 19, Firerose left Sydney for Los Angeles to pursue a professional music career. According to an interview cited by the South China Morning Post, she has named the Beatles, Elvis Presley, and Shania Twain as major influences — an eclectic mix that surfaces clearly in her blend of melodic pop hooks and country storytelling.
The move placed her inside the L.A. music industry ecosystem at a young age. It was during this period — around 2008, when she was approximately 20 years old — that she first met Billy Ray Cyrus while auditioning for a role on the Disney Channel series Hannah Montana.
Firerose and Hannah Montana — How She Met Billy Ray Cyrus
Firerose met Billy Ray Cyrus around 2008 while auditioning for a role on Hannah Montana, the Disney Channel series where Cyrus starred alongside his daughter Miley. She was approximately 20 years old at the time. She did not land a recurring role on the show, but the audition introduced her to Billy Ray, who became a supporter of her music career.
The Hannah Montana Audition
Hannah Montana ran from 2006 to 2011 on Disney Channel, with Billy Ray Cyrus playing Robby Ray Stewart — the fictional father of Miley Stewart (played by Miley Cyrus). The show regularly brought in guest performers and auditioning talent, which is how Firerose ended up in the same orbit as the Cyrus family.
According to reporting by the South China Morning Post, Firerose has said that Billy Ray encouraged her to “pursue my dreams no matter what and not give up.” Their initial connection was professional and musical — a songwriter-to-songwriter bond that would remain dormant for years before turning romantic.
Firerose’s Age When She Auditioned for Hannah Montana
Firerose was born in 1988, and Hannah Montana aired from 2006 to 2011. If she auditioned around 2008, she would have been 19 or 20 years old. For context, Miley Cyrus was 13 when Hannah Montana premiered in 2006 — making Firerose roughly 7 years older than the show’s teenage star.
This timeline matters because it establishes that Firerose and Billy Ray Cyrus knew each other for well over a decade before their relationship became public. Their connection was not a sudden tabloid romance — it had roots stretching back to the late 2000s.
The Firerose and Billy Ray Cyrus Age Gap Explained
The age difference between Firerose and Billy Ray Cyrus is approximately 27 years. She was born on December 11, 1988; he was born on August 25, 1961. At their October 2023 wedding, Firerose was 34 and Billy Ray was 62. By the time he filed for divorce in mid-2024, she was 35 and he was 62.
| Person | Date of Birth | Age at Wedding (Oct 2023) | Age at Divorce Filing (2024) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Firerose (Johanna Rosie Hodges) | December 11, 1988 | 34 | 35 |
| Billy Ray Cyrus | August 25, 1961 | 62 | 62 |
| Age Difference | — | ~27 years | |
Relationship and Marriage Timeline
While Firerose and Billy Ray first met around 2008, their romantic relationship did not become public until 2022 — after Billy Ray’s divorce from Tish Cyrus was finalized in April 2022, ending a 28-year marriage. The couple confirmed their relationship through social media posts in mid-2022 and announced their engagement by late 2022.
They married on October 10, 2023, in a private ceremony that Billy Ray described as “the most perfect, ethereal celebration of love.” The marriage lasted less than eight months before Billy Ray filed for divorce in Williamson County, Tennessee.
The Divorce
Court documents filed in 2024, as reported by People magazine, included Billy Ray’s claims of “irreconcilable differences” and “inappropriate marital conduct.” He also sought an annulment, alleging the marriage was “fraudulent.” Firerose disputed these characterizations through her legal representatives.
According to court reporting, Billy Ray was ordered to pay $5,000 monthly plus housing costs in Tennessee for 90 days or until the divorce was finalized. The full settlement terms were not made public. The divorce was finalized later in 2024.
The Age Gap in Context
A 27-year age gap drew predictable media scrutiny, particularly given the speed of the courtship following Billy Ray’s long first marriage. For perspective, Billy Ray’s signature hit “Achy Breaky Heart” topped charts in 1992 — when Firerose was three years old. That generational distance became a persistent frame in tabloid coverage, often overshadowing Firerose’s own artistic identity.
Firerose herself has not made the age gap a focal point in her public statements. In a post-divorce interview referenced by People, she said she would tell her younger self to “run in the opposite direction” from the relationship — framing her regret around the relationship dynamics rather than the age difference specifically.
Firerose’s Music Career and Net Worth
Firerose has been releasing original music since 2019, building a catalog of country-pop and singer-songwriter tracks independently. Her debut single “Fragile Handling” dropped in 2019, followed by singles including “New Day,” “All Figured Out,” and “Way Out.” According to Famous Birthdays, her single “New Day” has accumulated over 800,000 streams on Spotify, and her music video for “Way Out” exceeded 1 million views on YouTube.
Discography Highlights
| Release | Year | Notable Achievement |
|---|---|---|
| “Fragile Handling” | 2019 | Debut single; established solo identity |
| “New Day” (feat. Billy Ray Cyrus) | 2021 | 800,000+ Spotify streams; co-written via Zoom during COVID lockdowns |
| “All Figured Out” | 2021 | Continued building streaming presence |
| “Way Out” | 2022 | Music video exceeded 1 million YouTube views |
The “New Day” collaboration with Billy Ray Cyrus — co-written remotely via Zoom while she was in Los Angeles and he was in Tennessee — was released before their romantic relationship became public knowledge. The track introduced her to a significantly wider audience than her independent releases had reached.
Estimated Net Worth
Firerose’s net worth is not publicly confirmed. Entertainment biography aggregators estimate her net worth in the range of $500,000 to $1 million, reflecting her career as an independent recording artist without major label backing. These figures are estimates and should be treated with caution.
Her income sources include music streaming royalties, songwriting credits, live performance fees, and social media activity (she maintains over 190,000 followers on Instagram, per Famous Birthdays). The financial terms of her divorce settlement with Billy Ray Cyrus were not made fully public, so any net worth estimate that claims to include settlement figures is speculative.
Firerose and Miley Cyrus — Age Comparison and Family Dynamics
Firerose is approximately 4 years older than Miley Cyrus. Firerose was born on December 11, 1988; Miley was born on November 23, 1992. When Firerose married Billy Ray Cyrus in October 2023, she became Miley’s stepmother — a dynamic that reportedly created significant tension within the Cyrus family.
| Person | Date of Birth | Age (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Firerose | December 11, 1988 | 37 |
| Miley Cyrus | November 23, 1992 | 33 |
| Age Difference | — | ~4 years |
According to multiple entertainment outlets, Miley unfollowed her father on Instagram over his relationship with Firerose. The friction was reportedly not about Firerose personally but about the broader family dynamics following Billy Ray’s rapid remarriage after divorcing Tish Cyrus. Firerose being only four years older than Miley — closer in age to the daughter than the father — added an uncomfortable optic that tabloids seized on repeatedly.
Neither Firerose nor Miley has publicly addressed the other directly in any confirmed interviews regarding their personal relationship.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Firerose?
Firerose is 37 years old as of 2026, born on December 11, 1988. She will turn 38 in December 2026. Her age became a frequent search topic due to the 27-year age gap between her and ex-husband Billy Ray Cyrus, who was born in 1961.
What is Firerose’s real name?
Firerose’s birth name is Johanna Rosie Hodges, as confirmed by IMDB and multiple news outlets including the Daily Mail. She has also been credited as Rose Hodges and Miss Rosie. The stage name Firerose was adopted when she began pursuing music professionally after moving from Sydney to Los Angeles.
Was Firerose on Hannah Montana?
Firerose auditioned for a role on Hannah Montana around 2008 but did not land a recurring part on the show. The audition was significant because it was how she first met Billy Ray Cyrus, who starred on the Disney Channel series alongside his daughter Miley. Their professional acquaintance preceded their romantic relationship by over a decade.
What is the age difference between Firerose and Billy Ray Cyrus?
The age gap between Firerose and Billy Ray Cyrus is approximately 27 years. Firerose was born in 1988 and Billy Ray in 1961. At their October 2023 wedding, she was 34 and he was 62. The couple divorced in 2024 after less than eight months of marriage.
How old is Firerose compared to Miley Cyrus?
Firerose is roughly 4 years older than Miley Cyrus. Firerose was born in December 1988, while Miley was born in November 1992. This narrow age gap between Firerose and her former stepdaughter drew significant public attention during the marriage.
What is Firerose’s net worth?
Entertainment biography sites estimate Firerose’s net worth between $500,000 and $1 million, based on her independent music career, streaming royalties, and songwriting credits. The exact terms of her divorce settlement with Billy Ray Cyrus were not made public, so any figure claiming to include settlement money is speculative.
What is Firerose doing now?
Since her divorce from Billy Ray Cyrus in 2024, Firerose has focused on re-establishing her solo music career. She remains active on social media, has continued promoting her existing catalog, and has signaled through interviews that new music is in progress. She maintains over 190,000 Instagram followers.
Conclusion
Firerose is a 37-year-old Australian singer-songwriter born Johanna Rosie Hodges on December 11, 1988, in Sydney. She trained at the Newtown School of the Performing Arts, moved to Los Angeles at 19, and built an independent music career years before her marriage to Billy Ray Cyrus made her a household name in celebrity news.
The 27-year age gap, the Hannah Montana connection, the rapid marriage and divorce — those are the facts that drive search traffic. But underneath the tabloid layer sits a working musician with a real catalog, genuine training, and a career trajectory that existed before, during, and after the Cyrus chapter. The biography is more interesting than the headlines suggest.
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