We hear this Hannah Montana chick is Big Time.
Who? C'mon, even you know this much: Montana is the blond pop star alter ego of "normal" brunette Miley Stewart on the hit Disney Channel show "Hannah Montana."
And Stewart, in turn, is played by 15-year-old Miley Cyrus, whose dad is country singer Billy Ray. (Who also plays Miley Stewart's dad on the show. Got that?) Anyway, in the two years since the series' debut, the Hannah/Miley pairing has spurred awesome TV ratings, multimillion-dollar album sales, and a fan hysteria marked by sky-high concert tickets and even a scandal or two.
Everyone knows about the mom who lied about her husband dying in Iraq just so her 6-year-old daughter could win a Hannah Montana concert prize package, right? All of these tidbits, however, are just the bare-bones basics. So, with a nod to the film, "Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert" -- in theaters Friday -- here are 10 things to bring you up-to-date on this twin phenomenon:
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1. Miley's birth name: Destiny Hope Cyrus. Miley is a childhood nickname, although she's legally changed her name to Miley Ray.
2. Billy Ray isn't her only famous family tie -- Dolly Parton is her godmother.
3. The "Hannah Montana" concept is based on a "That's So Raven" episode in which a TV child star decides to attend public school.
4. The character was almost named Alexis Texas.
5. So far, the show has spawned six soundtrack albums and five DVD releases.
6. Cyrus used to date Jonas Brothers heartthrob Nick Jonas.
7. Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich sparked a minor scandal when he used political ties to score free tickets to a Hannah Montana concert. Hey, cut him a break -- he says he's a big fan and has seen every episode.
8. Speaking of scandals, some critics cried foul when it was revealed that Cyrus uses a body double on stage during concert costume changes. The doppleganger doesn't sing, however, and most fans don't seem to care.
9. Speaking of scandals, Part 2: Leaked Web photos of Cyrus playfully posing with a pal threatened to spice up the pop star's squeaky clean image until Cyrus explained it this way: "It's two girls at a sleepover, and if all of a sudden that's bad, then what is the world coming to?"
10. Cyrus's favorite book: the Bible. Mama Tish Cyrus buys her travel-sized ones for the road.
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