Miley Cyrus recalls last conversation with godmother Dolly Parton and pays tribute

Miley Cyrus has paid tribute to her godmother, Dolly Parton, following the country star’s death, revealing a personal detail about one of their final conversations.

Private bond, public loss

Parton died on 25 August at the age of 80 after a brief battle with cancer. In an emotional Instagram post, Cyrus referred to Parton as “Aunt Dolly” and said the feeling of losing her was “beyond what feels right to share.”

The last conversation

Cyrus said she kept many of their most sacred moments private but revealed one detail about one of their final talks: it was about music and metamorphosis. She wrote that she believed Parton would want her to feel the loss, write a song about it and find the strength to carry on.

“I have an angel by my side. I always have,” Cyrus wrote.

Promise and mourning

Cyrus closed her tribute by saying, “I will always love her and want to make her proud.” She added that her heart broke for Parton’s family, friends and fans and wrote, “We’re in this loss together and we will see her in all of the most beautiful things.”

A long-standing relationship

Parton became Miley Cyrus’s honorary godmother through a long-standing friendship with the Cyrus family. The two had both private and professional ties: Parton appeared as Aunt Dolly on Hannah Montana, performed with Miley several times and recorded a version of Miley’s “Wrecking Ball” for Parton’s 2023 album Rockstar.

Billy Ray Cyrus’s reflections

Billy Ray Cyrus also reflected on his decades-long bond with Parton, saying he had “so many moments and memories with Dolly”. He shared that Parton had recently sent him a message telling him she loved him “with her whole heart,” and he wrote that he would “always love her in the same way.”

The tribute from Miley Cyrus offered a glimpse into a private, multigenerational friendship that extended beyond public appearances and recordings.