By Danielle Broadway
LOS ANGELES, Aug 26 (Reuters) – American singer Miley Cyrus said on Wednesday she was heartbroken following the death of her godmother, country music icon Dolly Parton, who died of cancer at age 80 on Tuesday.
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“The feeling of losing my Aunt Dolly is beyond what feels right to share. Our most sacred moments were private and they’ll stay there behind the stage, beneath the glamour & between our hearts,” Cyrus, who often referred to Parton as an aunt, wrote on X.
“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,” added the “Flowers” singer.
Cyrus also said she loved Parton and described her death as a collective loss shared by family members and friends of the late singer-songwriter whose hits included “I Will Always Love You,” “Jolene” and “9 to 5.”
Parton had been a fixture in Cyrus’ life since before her birth. The country star became Cyrus’ godmother in 1992 after Billy Ray Cyrus, Miley’s father, asked her to take on the role. The two had toured together during the success of Billy Ray Cyrus’ breakthrough hit “Achy Breaky Heart.”
Though Parton never had children of her own, she became a maternal figure to Cyrus.
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“Dolly’s been like a mother to me. Actually, I was just reading this fax that she sent me two Mother’s Days ago,” Cyrus told W Magazine in 2024.
Their close relationship also extended to the screen. Parton guest-starred as Miley Stewart’s Aunt Dolly in three episodes of the Disney Channel’s “Hannah Montana” between 2006 and 2010.
Beyond family ties, Parton served as a mentor to Cyrus throughout her music career, helping guide her transition from Disney Channel star to Grammy-winning performer and Hollywood Walk of Fame honoree.
The pair collaborated numerous times over the years. In 2019, they performed a duet of Parton’s “Jolene” during a Grammy Awards tribute to the country music legend.
They reunited in 2022 for NBC’s live special “Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party,” performing Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” and Cyrus’ “Wrecking Ball.”
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(Reporting by Danielle Broadway; Editing by David Gregorio)
Copyright 2026 Thomson Reuters.
