Miley Cyrus Honors 'Aunt' Dolly Parton In Heartbreaking Statement: 'An Angel By My Side'

The death of Dolly Parton has been hard for her many fans and loved ones, including her goddaughter, Miley Cyrus. Parton agreed to take on the special role in Cyrus' life in 1992 when the "Wrecking Ball" singer's father, Billy Ray Cyrus, was the opening act for the legendary songsmith. Parton and Billy Ray became close during the tour and, as Parton explained to Howard Stern in 2023, "He said ... 'We're having a girl, and you 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."

Following Parton's passing, Cyrus took to Instagram to express her sorrow, writing "The feeling of losing my Aunt Dolly is beyond what feels right to share," while making it clear she would keep the most important moments to herself. She went on to write, "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."

Miley Cyrus and Dolly Parton had a close relationship, and Parton was there to advise the young star along the way. As she told Stern, though, Cyrus didn't need much help: "Miley's very smart. She's very intuitive about the business." But there was one thing Parton told Cyrus that meant a lot to her and helped convince her to celebrate the 20th anniversary of "Hannah Montana." In March 2026, Cyrus revealed on "Good Morning America," "One of my favorite pieces of advice she ever gave me was, 'Start promoting something before it's real, because then as people get excited, it'll be easier to make it happen.'"

While plenty of musicians have covered Dolly Parton's songs, Parton wasn't especially known for covering other people's work, but she wasn't a stranger, either. When Parton recorded her final album, "Rockstar," she included several covers, including one of Miley Cyrus' "Wrecking Ball." Making it even more special, Cyrus joined in on the song, turning it into a duet with her godmother. For her part, Cyrus looked to her godmother's most iconic song when she broke away from "Hannah Montana." Cyrus' cover of "Jolene" during her 2012 "Backyard Sessions" helped show the world that she was more than a Disney star. The performance was a smashing success, with more than half a billion views on YouTube, and became a regular part of Cyrus' live shows.

When Netflix made 2020's "Dolly Parton's Heartstrings," an anthology series where the titular singer's songs were turned into short films, Parton wanted Cyrus to play the famously auburn-haired Jolene, but the role ended up going to Julianne Hough. While Cyrus wasn't a part of that series, she famously got to spend time with Parton on the set of "Hannah Montana," where the country music legend played Aunt Dolly in three episodes.

Parton expressed her joy about being a part of the show, and how it introduced her to a new generation, telling Vanity Fair in 2020, "Thanks to [Miley Cyrus] I had a whole new following of people that were turned on to me. These young little kids, you know, that were her fans. ... I really loved the time that we spent with her doing the show ... she didn't know it, but I was watching her like a proud mama."