Cyrus to Host ‘Nashville Star’

U.S. country music singer and Hannah Montana co-star Billy Ray Cyrus said he has been named the host of the hit music-competition series Nashville Star.

Cyrus made the announcement on an episode of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno he taped, which was scheduled to air Wednesday night, NBC said.

The new season of Nashville Star is scheduled to premiere on the network this summer.

This year it is all about the dream, about the music, about persistence and never giving up faith. Putting the music first, Cyrus told Leno and his audience. You know I’ve been to the fair and I’ve seen the bear and I am really excited.

Nashville Star, which continues its national casting search March 8 with stops in the Los Angeles area, Washington, Austin, Texas, and Nashville, is a talent competition show created to find the next great country music star.

The winner gets a major recording contract with Warner Bros. Nashville, NBC said.