Baxter Neal Helson: Tish Cyrus’s Ex-Husband & Drummer
Baxter Neal Helson is an American drummer born in 1966 who gained recognition as Tish Cyrus’s first husband. They married in 1986, had two children, and divorced in 1989.
Early Life and Background
Baxter Neal Helson was born on January 21, 1966, in Ashland, Kentucky, United States. While information about his parents and early childhood remains limited, it’s known that he grew up with a natural inclination toward music. His upbringing in Kentucky laid the foundation for his future career as a musician, particularly as a drummer.
Helson developed his passion for music at a young age, showing particular interest in percussion instruments. This early fascination with rhythm and beats would later define his professional path. Growing up in a small town like Ashland likely provided him with opportunities to participate in local music scenes and develop his skills through community performances.
His formative years were spent honing his drumming abilities, and by his teenage years, he was already displaying his musical talent at local gigs. This dedication to his craft eventually led him to become a professional drummer, playing for various bands throughout his career.
Physical Appearance and Personal Details
Baxter Neal Helson stands at approximately 5’8″ (172 cm) and weighs around 138 pounds (63 kg). He has blonde hair and dark brown eyes. As of 2025, he is 59 years old. Helson is an American citizen of white ethnicity and identifies as Christian.
Despite his connection to the famous Cyrus family, Helson has maintained a relatively private life. He doesn’t appear to have any public social media accounts, which aligns with his preference to stay away from the spotlight, especially after his divorce from Tish Cyrus.
Career as a Drummer
Helson’s professional identity is primarily defined by his career as a drummer. Coming from a family with a musical background, he naturally gravitated toward music as his vocation. His talent for drumming became evident early on, and he pursued it with dedication.
Musical Journey
Throughout his career, Baxter Neal Helson performed with various bands, showcasing his drumming skills at local venues. He was known for playing at bars and parties in his hometown of Kentucky, building a reputation as a talented musician within local circuits. While he never achieved mainstream fame or celebrity status on a national level, he earned respect within the music community for his drumming abilities.
Helson’s performances were primarily focused on local entertainment scenes rather than major touring or recording projects. This local focus allowed him to develop a dedicated following in the areas where he performed regularly. His style and genre preferences aren’t extensively documented, but as a drummer in Kentucky during the 1980s and beyond, he likely played across various popular genres including rock, country, and possibly blues.
Current Musical Activities
Information about Helson’s current involvement in the music industry is limited. Some sources suggest that he continues to play drums for local bands in the United States, maintaining his connection to his musical roots despite keeping a low profile. However, due to his private nature, concrete details about his recent musical projects or performances are scarce.
What remains clear is that music has been a consistent thread throughout Helson’s life, from his early years to his adult life. Whether he continues to perform professionally or simply maintains music as a personal passion, his identity as a drummer remains an integral part of who he is.
Marriage to Tish Cyrus
Perhaps the most widely known aspect of Baxter Neal Helson’s life is his relationship with Leticia “Tish” Finley, who later became known as Tish Cyrus. Their relationship represents a significant chapter in both their lives and created a lasting connection between Helson and the famous Cyrus family.
Meeting and Marriage
Baxter and Tish first met at a local town party when Tish was only 19 years old. After dating for some time, they decided to formalize their relationship by getting married in 1986. At the time, both were young and starting their adult lives together in Kentucky.
Their marriage lasted approximately three years, from 1986 to 1989. During this relatively brief union, the couple welcomed two children into the world: Brandi Glenn and Trace Cyrus. These children would later become part of the extended Cyrus family through adoption by Billy Ray Cyrus.
Divorce and Custody Battle
By 1989, the marriage between Baxter and Tish had deteriorated, leading to their divorce. While the specific reasons for their separation aren’t extensively documented in public records, it’s known that their divorce was followed by a custody battle over their two children.
This custody dispute became a challenging period in Helson’s life. Despite his efforts, Tish ultimately received primary custody of both children. What followed was perhaps one of the most difficult decisions Helson would face: he eventually agreed to let Billy Ray Cyrus (who married Tish after their divorce) adopt both Brandi and Trace.
This decision meant that Helson forfeited his legal guardianship rights, though he reportedly maintained some level of visitation and presence in his children’s lives when possible. This arrangement fundamentally altered his relationship with his biological children, who would grow up as part of the Cyrus family.
Children and Family Connections
Baxter Neal Helson’s connection to the Cyrus family comes primarily through his two biological children with Tish Cyrus: Brandi Glenn and Trace Cyrus. Despite the divorce and subsequent adoption by Billy Ray Cyrus, Helson’s biological connection to these children creates an interesting footnote in the story of the famous Cyrus family.
Brandi Glenn Cyrus
Born in 1987, Brandi Glenn is the eldest child of Baxter and Tish. Following her parents’ divorce and her mother’s marriage to Billy Ray Cyrus, Brandi was adopted by Billy Ray and took on the Cyrus surname. She has since established her own career in the entertainment industry as an actress, DJ, and television personality.
Despite being raised primarily by Tish and Billy Ray, Brandi remains biologically connected to Helson. The nature and extent of their relationship over the years isn’t well-documented in public sources, reflecting the private approach both have taken regarding family matters.
Trace Cyrus
Born as Neil Timothy Helson on February 24, 1989, Trace is the second child of Baxter and Tish. Like his sister, he was adopted by Billy Ray Cyrus when he was around four years old, and his name was legally changed to Trace Dempsey Cyrus.
Trace has followed a musical path, becoming known as the backing vocalist and guitarist for the band Metro Station. He later provided vocals and guitar for the pop rock band Ashland HIGH and has released various singles as a solo artist. He also previously owned a clothing company called From Backseats to Bedrooms.
While Trace carries Helson’s genes, he was primarily raised within the Cyrus family dynamic, with Billy Ray serving as his adoptive father. The relationship between Trace and his biological father remains largely private.
Connection to the Extended Cyrus Family
Through his biological children, Helson has an indirect connection to the broader Cyrus family, including Miley Cyrus and Noah Cyrus, who are his children’s half-siblings through Tish’s marriage to Billy Ray Cyrus. This connection places Helson on the periphery of one of America’s most famous entertainment families, though he himself has remained largely outside the celebrity spotlight.
The complex family dynamics resulting from divorce, remarriage, and adoption have created an interesting web of relationships that connect Helson to the Cyrus family legacy, even as he maintains his own separate life and identity.
Life After Divorce
Following his separation from Tish Cyrus and the subsequent custody arrangements, Baxter Neal Helson chose a path that led him away from public attention. His post-divorce life represents a marked contrast to the high-profile nature of the Cyrus family that his ex-wife became part of.
Relocation to Phoenix
After his divorce from Tish Cyrus, Helson reportedly moved to Phoenix, Arizona, where he continued his life away from the entertainment spotlight. This geographical move seems to have coincided with his general retreat from public life, allowing him to establish a new chapter separate from his past connection to the Cyrus family.
In Phoenix, Helson is believed to have continued his musical career to some extent, though details about his specific activities there remain limited. The move to Arizona represented not just a physical relocation but also a symbolic fresh start following the challenging period of divorce and custody proceedings.
Privacy and Current Status
One of the most notable aspects of Helson’s post-divorce life is his commitment to privacy. Unlike his ex-wife and former children, who have lived much of their lives in the public eye, Helson has deliberately maintained a low profile. He appears to have no public social media presence and rarely, if ever, gives interviews or makes public appearances related to his past connection to the Cyrus family.
This privacy makes it difficult to provide comprehensive details about his current life situation, including his relationship status, family developments, or professional activities. What is known is that he has chosen a path distinctly different from the celebrity-focused world that his ex-wife and biological children became part of through their connection to Billy Ray Cyrus.
Net Worth and Financial Status
While precise details about Baxter Neal Helson’s financial situation aren’t extensively documented in public sources, some information about his estimated net worth and career earnings has been reported.
Estimated Net Worth
As of early 2024, Baxter Neal Helson’s net worth is estimated to be around $1.2 million. This figure, while not independently verified, suggests that Helson has maintained a reasonably comfortable financial position throughout his life and career.
His wealth likely stems from his long-standing career as a drummer, possibly supplemented by other business ventures or investments that aren’t widely known to the public. While not approaching the wealth level of his ex-wife’s family (particularly following Tish’s marriage to Billy Ray Cyrus and the subsequent success of Miley Cyrus), Helson appears to have established financial stability on his own terms.
Income Sources
Helson’s primary income source throughout his life has been his work as a professional drummer. Playing with bands at local venues, bars, and events likely provided the foundation of his earnings, particularly during his younger years.
Whether he has diversified his income through other business ventures, investments, or alternative career paths isn’t well-documented in public sources. His preference for privacy extends to his financial affairs, making it difficult to provide a comprehensive picture of his various income streams beyond his musical career.
Legacy and Public Perception
Despite his connection to the famous Cyrus family, Baxter Neal Helson has maintained a relatively low profile in terms of public recognition and media attention. His legacy and how he’s perceived by the public are shaped by limited information and his peripheral connection to celebrity culture.
Musical Contribution
As a drummer who performed primarily in local venues rather than on national stages, Helson’s musical legacy is more localized than global. His contributions to the music scene in Kentucky and potentially in Phoenix after his relocation represent a grassroots musical career that touched local communities rather than mainstream audiences.
While not achieving the fame of some musicians, including those in the Cyrus family, Helson’s dedication to his craft as a drummer deserves recognition within the context of local music scenes and the important role such musicians play in maintaining vibrant regional music cultures.
Connection to Celebrity
For many people, Helson is known primarily through his connection to Tish Cyrus and, by extension, to the broader Cyrus family. This association has placed him on the periphery of celebrity culture, occasionally mentioned in articles or discussions about the Cyrus family tree and history.
However, unlike many people connected to famous families, Helson has not leveraged this association for personal gain or increased visibility. His choice to maintain privacy rather than capitalize on his connection to the Cyrus name speaks to his apparent preference for an authentic life outside the spotlight.
Interesting Facts About Baxter Neal Helson
Beyond the basic biographical information, several interesting facts and aspects of Baxter Neal Helson’s life help to paint a more complete picture of who he is as a person:
- Helson met Tish Cyrus at a local town party, beginning a relationship that would eventually connect him to one of America’s most famous entertainment families.
- Despite giving up legal guardianship of his biological children, Helson reportedly maintained some level of presence in their lives when possible.
- Unlike many people with connections to celebrity families, Helson has chosen not to maintain a public social media presence or seek publicity based on his past relationship with Tish Cyrus.
- Helson’s career as a drummer spans several decades, demonstrating a long-term commitment to his musical craft despite not achieving mainstream fame.
- His move to Phoenix after his divorce represented a fresh start away from the growing media attention surrounding the Cyrus family.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Baxter Neal Helson married to now?
There is no public information about Baxter Neal Helson’s current marital status. Following his divorce from Tish Cyrus in 1989, Helson has maintained a private life, and details about any subsequent relationships or marriages are not widely known.
What is Baxter Neal Helson’s relationship with Miley Cyrus?
Baxter Neal Helson does not have a biological relationship with Miley Cyrus. Miley is the daughter of Tish Cyrus and Billy Ray Cyrus, born after Tish’s divorce from Helson. Miley would be considered a half-sister to Helson’s biological children, Brandi and Trace, but there is no direct familial relationship between Helson and Miley Cyrus.
Did Baxter Neal Helson have any involvement in his children’s careers?
There is no public information suggesting that Helson had direct involvement in the entertainment careers of his biological children, Brandi and Trace Cyrus. After Billy Ray Cyrus adopted them, they developed their careers within the context of the Cyrus family connections in the entertainment industry.
Where does Baxter Neal Helson live now?
According to available information, Baxter Neal Helson moved to Phoenix, Arizona following his divorce from Tish Cyrus. Whether he still resides there or has relocated elsewhere isn’t well-documented in public sources due to his private lifestyle.
Has Baxter Neal Helson spoken publicly about his relationship with Tish Cyrus?
There are no widely known public statements or interviews where Helson discusses his past relationship with Tish Cyrus. He has generally maintained privacy regarding his personal life, including his former marriage and the custody arrangements regarding his children.
Samantha Yates is a creative writer and journalist with expertise in content creation and editing. She holds an MA in Creative Writing and brings professional experience from Lionbridge, where she developed engaging content for leading technology companies
