Miley Cyrus has shared an emotional tribute to her godmother, Dolly Parton, following the country music legend’s death at the age of 80.
On Wednesday morning, the 33-year-old singer turned to Instagram to mourn Parton, telling her 205 million followers that the loss was almost impossible to put into words.
“The feeling of losing my Aunt Dolly is beyond what feels right to share,” Cyrus wrote. “Our most sacred moments were private and they’ll stay there behind the stage, beneath the glamour & between our hearts.”
While Cyrus chose to keep many of their most intimate memories private, she made clear that Parton’s influence would remain with her.
“What I KNOW is Dolly would want me to feel it, write a song about it, and then continue on and be strong,” she continued. “I have an angel by my side. I always have. One of our last conversations was about music and metamorphosis.”
“I will always love her and want to make her proud,” Cyrus added. “My heart breaks for the world, her family and friends who will miss her deeply. We’re in this loss together and we will see her in all of the most beautiful things.”
A lifelong bond between godmother and goddaughter
Parton had been part of Cyrus’s life since she was a baby. The country star previously explained how she came to become the singer’s godmother.
“I’ve known her since she was a baby,” Parton told Good Morning America in 2009. “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.’”
The pair never held a formal ceremony, but Parton said she was immensely proud of Cyrus and loved her as she would one of her own children.
Their relationship extended well beyond family ties. Parton had confidence in Cyrus’s abilities from an early age and appeared alongside her on Hannah Montana, the Disney Channel series that helped launch Cyrus to international fame, in 2006.
Parton later praised the young singer’s abilities in an interview with AOL Music in 2008, saying audiences saw Cyrus as Hannah Montana but often failed to appreciate what a talented singer and songwriter she was.
“She writes songs like she’s 40 years old! She’s really deep,” Parton said.
She also predicted that Cyrus would enjoy a major career once Hannah Montana ended, while acknowledging that she was naturally biased as her godmother.
“But I’m amazed at the talent that child has and the effect she has on people,” Parton said.
Parton’s advice continued to shape Cyrus’s career
Cyrus has spoken openly over the years about the guidance she received from Parton, including advice that influenced one of her more recent projects.
While developing a Disney+ concert special marking the 20th anniversary of Hannah Montana, Cyrus revealed that she had followed one particular lesson from her godmother by promoting the project before it had even been officially approved.
“She told me that if you want something to happen, promote it before it exists. Then no one can say no,” Cyrus said in a Variety cover interview in March.
That approach reflected the confidence Parton had long encouraged in her goddaughter.
Music brought them together again and again
Their professional relationship continued long after Hannah Montana. Cyrus and Parton collaborated on a number of musical projects, including Parton’s 2023 rock album Rockstar.
Parton recorded Cyrus’s 2013 hit “Wrecking Ball” for the album, while Cyrus had previously worked with her godmother on “Rainbowland,” a track from her 2017 album Younger Now.
Parton said she immediately knew she wanted Cyrus involved when she began selecting artists and songs for Rockstar.
“I just felt honored. I love that song, and I love Miley,” Parton said at the time. “When I started to choose all these people for my record, or songs that I wanted to do, I thought, ‘I have to have Miley.’”
Cyrus had also paid tribute to Parton’s music throughout her own career. In 2012, she performed a version of Parton’s 1973 classic “Jolene” during a Backyard Sessions performance, which went viral at the time.
The two singers performed “Jolene” together on several occasions. They shared the stage for the 2010 Hallmark special Dolly Celebrates 25 Years of Dollywood, later reunited for a performance on The Voice in 2016, and performed the song together again at the 2019 Grammy Awards.
Dolly Parton dies at 80
Parton died Tuesday morning at age 80 after being admitted on Friday to Nashville’s Vanderbilt University Medical Center with autoimmune and kidney problems.
Her death was confirmed in an emotional Instagram video posted by her nephew, Bryan Seaver, who also served as her head of security.
Seaver said Parton had “lived in the light” and was now “in the arms of Jesus,” alongside her late husband, Carl Dean.
He explained that the announcement was something Parton had asked him to make years earlier, long before he had fully considered the possibility that the day would come.
“This video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago before I fully absorbed it as a future reality,” Seaver said.
He also spoke about her family, saying she was reunited with Dean, her parents and “countless others who have watched her and longed to meet her in the heavens.”
Parton’s loved ones began traveling to Nashville after learning of her hospitalization, although some were unable to reach her before she died.
A six-decade career and a lasting family legacy
Known widely as the Queen of Country, Parton built an extraordinary career spanning six decades. Her best-known songs included “Jolene” and “9 to 5,” and her influence extended far beyond her music.
Her death followed months of health concerns that had led her to withdraw from a number of public appearances and prompted growing concern among fans.
Seaver also remembered accompanying his aunt on tour as a child in the 1980s. He credited Parton with opening opportunities for him and for their entire family.
“She opened doors not just for me but for her entire family to reach the potential we didn’t even know was possible,” he recalled.
In describing Parton’s life and legacy, Seaver drew a comparison to her upbringing as the daughter of a farmer.
“She was a farmer, just like her daddy. He farmed the soil. She farmed songs and happiness,” he said.
Seaver also shared Parton’s wishes for her final rest, saying she wanted to lie in “a beautiful bed of plush cotton” because, after a lifetime spent wearing heavy rhinestones, she finally deserved comfort and rest.
Family insiders said a private service for close friends and relatives would be held in Nashville within the next few days.