This issue will not go away! Once again, the Miley Cyrus photo controversy has returned from near-death this morning on the “Today” show. Billy Ray Cyrus made his first TV comments about America’s negative reaction to the pictures of daughter Miley Cyrus in the June issue of Vanity Fair.

He was actually there to promote his latest show, Nashville Star, but Billy Ray told Meredith Vieira when asked about the “topless” photos:

“I didn’t know they were going to strip her down and wrap her in a blanket. I was surprised when I saw it … but, hey, that’s life. Stuff happens.”

“No matter how many times you get knocked down, it comes down to getting back up. Thomas Edison said the most important ingredient for success is failure. Every time you fail, you eliminate one way that won’t work therefore being that much closer to the one way that will.”