Billy Ray Cyrus has shared a memorable anecdote about Dolly Parton's reaction to rumors of an affair between them in 1992. In an Instagram tribute following Parton's death at age 80, Cyrus recalled walking into her dressing room to apologize for the tabloid stories.
"In true Dolly fashion, she just looked at me, winked and said, 'Honey, this trash sells records!'" Cyrus wrote. He noted that he turned 65 on the same day Parton died.
Cyrus and Parton became close when they toured together in 1992, the same year he asked Parton to be the godmother to his daughter, Miley Cyrus. "As a little boy, I grew up loving Dolly Parton," he wrote in his tribute. "She was a part of our lives, on our TV’s, right in our living rooms."
Before her passing, Parton sent Cyrus what he described as a "beautiful message, telling me she loved me with her whole heart." Cyrus concluded his tribute by stating, "I will always love her in the same way… with my whole heart … and I always will."
Parton had previously spoken about her role as Miley Cyrus' godmother in a 2009 interview. "I've known her since she was a baby," Parton said of Miley, who was born in 1992. "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.'" Parton added that while they never had a formal ceremony, she was proud of Miley and loved her as if she were her own child. Parton also appeared on a few episodes of Miley's Disney Channel show, "Hannah Montana."
Parton, a prolific songwriter and performer, passed away after a battle with cancer, her representatives confirmed. A private funeral service for immediate family was expected to be held in Nashville. Parton's career spanned decades, earning her numerous accolades and a lasting impact on country music and popular culture.