Miley Cyrus pays tribute to godmother Dolly Parton: ‘I have an angel by my side'
Miley Cyrus has paid tribute to her “fairy godmother,” Dolly Parton.
The 33-year-old star shared a touching social media post Wednesday honoring Parton, her godmother who died this week at the age of 80.
“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.
“What I KNOW is Dolly would want me to feel it, write a song about it, and then continue on and be strong. 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. 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.”
Parton revealed in 2023 on SiriusXM’s “The Howard Stern Show” that country singer Billy Ray Cyrus asked her to be his daughter’s godmother while the two were touring together in 1992.
“We just got to be good friends because he’s a Kentucky boy, I’m from Tennessee,” Parton said. “And he said … ‘We’re having a girl, and you’ve got to be her godmother!’ And I said, ‘Well, I’d be honored.’ So, actually, Miley and I took over from there. We’ve just stayed very, very close through the years.”
Billy Ray Cyrus made a Facebook post Tuesday honoring Parton.
“I have so many moments and memories with Dolly Parton, it’s hard to know where to start,” he wrote. “Like every little boy, I grew up loving Dolly Parton. She was a part of our lives, on our TV’s, right in our living rooms.
“In 1992, I’ll never forget walking into her dressing room to apologize for all the tabloid stories which claimed I was having an affair with her. In true Dolly fashion, she just looked at me, winked and said, “Honey, this trash sells records!”
“Dolly recently sent me a beautiful message, telling me she loved me with her whole heart. I will always love her in the same way ….. with my whole heart … and I always will.”
Parton made multiple appearances alongside Miley and Billy Ray on their Disney Channel show “Hannah Montana” — playing the role of “Aunt Dolly.”
“I’m her fairy godmother,” Parton told the Associated Press in 2010. “I’m just real proud of her. She does not need my advice, but she’s often asking for information and advice, and I tell her what I know, but I think the girl’s doing all right without me.”
The two also shared the stage on many occasions, including at the 2019 Grammy Awards, and hosted a New Year’s Eve special to ring in 2023. Later that year, they also collaborated on a cover of Cyrus’s 2013 hit “Wrecking Ball” for Parton’s album “Rockstar.”
“I’ve grown up covering my Aunt Dollys music & it’s an honor to hear her singing one of my songs,” Cyrus wrote at the time in an Instagram post.
When Parton was named to TIME’s 100 Most Influential People of 2021, Cyrus wrote her profile for the section.
“Have you ever met anyone who doesn’t love Dolly Parton?” Cyrus wrote. “I never have. Dolly is not only my idol because of her incomparable career — she’s also my role model because of her steadfast morals and values. At her core, she is the definition of a humanitarian.
“She may be my fairy godmother,” Cyrus continued, “but I think she’s that to everyone else too.”
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