Dolly Parton and Miley Cyrus’ Sweet Relationship

The country legend and the pop star will always love each other, Dolly Parton and Miley Cyrus sharing one of the sweetest relationships in show business—a bond that began even before Miley was born. Parton has been part of the Cyrus family from the start, and their connection has only deepened over the years. Dolly has offered Miley guidance that’s shaped both her life and career, while Miley frequently expresses just how much her “Aunt Dolly” means to her.

Parton was a good friend of Cyrus’ father, Billy Ray Cyrus, in the early 1990s when he served as an opening act for the country star while on tour.  The two formed a close friendship, which led to him asking Parton to be Miley’s godmother. 

“I’m her honorary godmother,” Parton said in 2009. “I’ve known her since she was a baby. Her father’s a friend of mine, and when she was born, he said, ‘You just have to be her godmother,’ and I said, ‘I accept.’ We never did a big ceremony, but I’m so proud of her, love her. And she’s just like one of my own.”

Miley’s father shared his view of her relationship with Parton, explaining that they were made for one another.

“Her and Miley, actually just fell in love, like it was kindred spirits,” Billy Ray Cyrus recalled. “You could just feel it from the second they met. It was two peas in a pod.”

Dolly Parton appeared on ‘Hannah Montana’

Over the years, Parton and the Cyrus’ have remained close, with Parton serving as a mentor for her goddaughter amid her life in the spotlight. Cyrus even had Parton guest star on her hit Disney series, Hannah Montana, as her Aunt Dolly, with the singer appearing in multiple episodes of the show over the years. Parton recalled appearing on the show as a sweet moment between them.  

“One thing that touches me most of all is when you had me on the Hannah Montana show back years ago,” Dolly said. “You really helped my career, you introduced me to a whole new set of fans. Young ones! Though of course they’re not all as young as they used to be now.”

Parton offers Cyrus words of wisdom

Giving sage advice and inspiration is something people often associate Dolly with, but the singer says she doesn’t have advice, just information that might help someone out. She uses that way of thinking with her goddaughter as well.

Cyrus recalled a piece of advice she received from Dolly, explaining that Parton said, “You do you, I’ll do me, and together we’ll be us. I can’t be giving you and you can’t be giving me … We all just need to be ourselves.”

Dolly Parton pushed Miley Cyrus to perform at the Grammys

Having Dolly Parton as a godmother is every bit as special as it looks from the outside. With more than six decades in the music industry, the “9 to 5” icon has plenty of hard-earned wisdom to share — especially with a goddaughter who chose the same path.

Miley Cyrus has turned to her many times over the years, including when she was invited to perform at the 2024 Grammys. Nominated for her hit “Flowers,” Cyrus wanted to make the right choice, so she reached out to the one person who had stood on that stage countless times before. Dolly’s guidance helped her think it through, offering perspective only someone with that level of experience could provide.

“I told her [Parton], ‘I’m wondering if I’m going to do the Grammy’s or not,'” Cyrus shared. “And she said, ‘Well, of course you’re gonna do the Grammy’s. And you’re not just gonna show up but you’re gonna show off. And you’re gonna be everything that you are sitting right here in front of me.’ She said, ‘And don’t forget about the beauty—the hair, the makeup, the whole show. You know, it’s armor for us’…“She wasn’t telling me to be Dolly,” Cyrus explained. “She wasn’t telling me to be fabulous, hide behind the sparkles and the hair. She was telling me to be me.” 

Parton has had her fair share of time on the Grammys stage, having snagged 10 wins over the course of her career and performed there multiple times. 

Dolly and Miley love each other like family

Of course, having been in Cyrus’ life since she was born means the two are quite close. But they aren’t just godmother and goddaughter: Parton and Cyrus are actually related. The two musicians are distant seventh cousins, thanks to their common ancestor, John Brickey from the late 1700s and early 1800s, which they found out from genealogy research on ancestry.com. 

But even though they are only mildly related, Parton still looks at Cyrus like a daughter. Despite the fact that Parton never welcomed any children with her late husband, Carl Dean, she considers Cyrus to be one to her. So much so that Parton wrote a sweet message to Cyrus on Mother’s Day to share her love for her. 

“Dolly wrote to me [on Mother’s Day] to say: ‘How much do I love you? As much as my heart can hold and as far as my arms can reach,’” Cyrus remembered. “It gets me choked up. I just love her so much.”

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