Dolly Parton and Miley Cyrus shared a profound connection throughout their lives, with Parton serving as Cyrus's godmother since her birth in 1992. The country music icon died Tuesday at the age of 80.
Parton's role as godmother began when Miley's father, Billy Ray Cyrus, asked her to take on the honor shortly after Miley was born. "I've known her since she was a baby," Parton said of Cyrus in a 2009 interview with "Good Morning America." "Her father's a friend of mine. And when she was born, he said, 'You just have to be her godmother,' and I said, 'I accept.'"
Though a formal ceremony was never held, Parton expressed immense pride and love for her goddaughter, stating, "she's just like one of my own." The friendship between Parton and Billy Ray Cyrus developed in 1992 when he toured with her following the success of his hit song "Achy Breaky Heart." Parton described their bond as growing out of a shared friendship, noting, "He's a Kentucky boy. I'm from Tennessee."
Parton and Cyrus maintained a close relationship over the years. Cyrus often sought Parton's advice on her career. "Well, she's asked me a lot of things, and she mostly just runs things by me. And we talk. She's very successful. Miley is very smart. She's very intuitive about the business, and I just think Miley is a spectacular human being and an amazing talent," Parton told the "Howard Stern Show" in 2024.
Their musical collaborations further cemented their bond. Parton was featured on Cyrus's 2023 rock album "Rockstar," where they covered Cyrus's 2013 hit "Wrecking Ball." Parton also appeared on Cyrus's 2017 track "Rainbowland" from her "Younger Now" album. In 2012, Cyrus performed her own rendition of Parton's classic "Jolene" during a "Backyard Sessions" performance.
They also shared the stage multiple times, including a performance of "Jolene" for the 2010 Hallmark special "Dolly Celebrates 25 Years of Dollywood." Their duets continued on "The Voice" in 2016 and at the 2019 Grammy Awards. In 2022, they appeared together in a T-Mobile Super Bowl commercial, and the following year, they co-hosted NBC's "Miley's New Year's Eve Party," an event Parton called "the thrill of [her] life."
Parton also made multiple guest appearances as "Aunt Dolly" on Cyrus's hit Disney Channel show, "Hannah Montana," which aired from 2006 to 2011. Reflecting on her role in a 2020 interview with Vanity Fair, Parton noted how her involvement with Cyrus on the show introduced her to a new generation of fans. "Thanks to her, I had a whole new following of people that were turned on to me," she said, referring to Cyrus as her "fairy godmother."
Cyrus has spoken fondly of Parton's influence, sharing a piece of advice she received: "Start promoting something before it's real, because then as people get excited, it'll be easier to make it happen." Cyrus used this advice to help create a "Hanniversary" special for "Hannah Montana" before it was officially confirmed.
During a 2022 appearance on "Late Night with Seth Meyers," Cyrus described Parton as "the world's best godmother" and shared anecdotes about their unique communication methods, including the use of fax machines and even cassette tapes. "She does a fax, and then someone scans the fax, and they put it into a text message, and then that gets sent to me," Cyrus explained.
In 2021, while appearing on "Saturday Night Live," Cyrus performed a rendition of Parton's 1997 song "Light of a Clear Blue Morning." She told Seth Meyers at the time that Parton appreciated when she introduced her music to her fans in a way that felt authentic. Cyrus also expressed her belief that Parton is "the most loved person on the planet," having left a significant mark on the world.
Parton was a maternal figure for Cyrus. "Dolly's been like a mother to me," Cyrus told W Magazine in 2024, recalling a Mother's Day fax from Parton that read, "How much do I love you? As much as my heart can hold and as far as my arms can reach."
Parton continued to work leading up to her death, with her last public appearance in June for the Dolly's Tennessean Travel Stop ribbon-cutting ceremony. She had also announced plans for a Broadway production titled "Dolly: A True Original Musical." Parton was hospitalized for kidney and autoimmune issues shortly before her passing.
Miley Cyrus has not yet publicly commented on Parton's death. Billy Ray Cyrus shared a tribute on Instagram, recalling his long friendship with Parton and a humorous anecdote about tabloid stories claiming an affair, to which Parton responded, "Honey, this trash sells records!" He concluded by expressing his enduring love for Parton.