The world lost singer, songwriter, actress, and all-around icon Dolly Parton on Aug. 25. While tributes started pouring in immediately after the news broke — Sabrina Carpenter, Taylor Swift, BeyoncĂ©, and countless other celebrities took to social media to share their condolences — many Gen Zers immediately thought of Miley Cyrus. Parton was Cyrus’s godmother, family friend, and mentor, and her post about Parton, which came on Aug. 26, broke fans’ hearts all over again.
“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 on Instagram. “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. 🦋 I will always love her and want to make her proud. My heart breaks for the world, her family and friends who will miss her deeply. We’re in this loss together and we will see her in all of the most beautiful things.”
Gen Z was first brought into the sweet relationship between Cyrus and Parton when the former was starring on Disney Channel’s Hannah Montana, and had Parton guest-star on the show as Miley Stewart’s Aunt Dolly in three episodes across three different seasons. It was art imitating life, as Parton played the part of her godmother both on the show and in real life.
After Hannah Montana, Cyrus and Parton continued to collaborate with their music. In 2010, the pair performed Parton’s hit “Jolene” for the first time together at the 25th anniversary of Dollywood, and continued to pair up for the song multiple times over their careers, including at the 2019 Grammys. And in January 2026, Cyrus was featured on Parton’s new version of her song “Light of a Clear Blue Morning” — which was originally released in 1977 — alongside Lainey Wilson, Reba McEntire, and Queen Latifah. The new version of the song was released in honor of Parton’s 80th birthday, and the proceeds went to pediatric cancer research.
Parton was very open about her relationship with Cyrus and how close they were. She told Howard Stern in 2024 they stayed “very, very close,” and that she was a resource for Cyrus on business decisions. Parton said, “Well, she’s asked me a lot of things, and she mostly just runs things by me. And we talk. She’s very successful. Miley is very smart. She’s very intuitive about the business, and I just think Miley is a spectacular human being and an amazing talent.”