Miley Cyrus Shares Moving Tribute to Godmother

Parton and Cyrus maintained a deep relationship over the years. Famously, Cyrus’ father, Billy Ray Cyrus, asked Parton to be his daughter’s godmother before she’d even been born. Years later, Parton had a recurring guest role on Hannah Montana, where she played “Aunt Dolly” to Cyrus’ character, Miley Stewart. They went on to share the stage countless times together and then, in 2024, Cyrus and Parton learned they were actually family, with both sharing a very distant relative who’d been born in the 18th century. 

Speaking with Rolling Stone in 2013, Cyrus cited Parton as one of her biggest role models: “Dolly knows what she is. She’s smart. She’s not just a blonde with big titties – she is a genius under there. She literally came from nothing, and now you go anywhere in the world, and they know Dolly Parton. It’s like, don’t let people’s judgment define who you are. Don’t read the comments and get nervous. Know who you are.”

Countless artists have paid tribute to Parton following her death yesterday after a brief battle with cancer. Others include Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Paul McCartney, most current and former U.S. presidents, Jelly Roll, Brandi Carlile, Eminem, and Jack White, to name just a few.