Miley Cyrus Mourns Her Godmother Dolly Parton: ‘I Have an Angel by My Side’

On the day after Dolly Parton’s passing at the age of 80, Miley Cyrus paid tribute to her godmother in an emotional Instagram post. The singer shared a black-and-white photo of a younger Parton, captioning it, "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 wrote.

"What I KNOW is Dolly would want me to feel it, write a song about it, and then continue on and be strong," she continued. "I have an angel by my side. I always have." Cyrus reflected on their last conversation about music and transformation, expressing her desire to make Parton proud. She acknowledged the pain of the loss to the world, her family, and friends, but remained hopeful, stating, "We're in this loss together, and we will see her in all of the most beautiful things."

Dolly Parton passed away on Tuesday (Aug. 25) after a brief battle with cancer, as confirmed by her team. Her nephew, Bryan Seaver, delivered a statement through a video posted to his famous aunt’s social media, assuring that Dolly had met her loved ones in the heavens. The deep connection between Parton and Cyrus, evident in their collaborations on Hannah Montana and their joint songwriting, was admired by fans worldwide.

Parton had invited her goddaughter for Miley’s New Year's Eve Party in 2022, and the two women worked together on music, including "Rainbowland" from Cyrus’ 2017 album Younger Now and a remixed version of "Wrecking Ball" for Parton’s 2024 album Rockstar.