In a poignant reflection on her relationship with her godmother, the late country music icon Dolly Parton, Miley Cyrus has opened up about the final conversation they shared. Speaking with Zane Lowe, the singer shared that their last exchange centered on her latest musical project, Bass Persuades, which was released on September 18. Cyrus had been preparing to send a vinyl copy of the record to the legend, who passed away on August 25 at the age of 80.
Despite their generational gap and different artistic paths, Cyrus emphasized that their connection was profound. “She’s known for, I guess, the faux, the fake, the hair, the makeup, the show of it, but there’s a part of her that’s just what I think everyone gravitates toward—how real she is and how authentic she is,” Cyrus explained. She noted that Parton’s ability to maintain a public persona while remaining grounded served as a vital blueprint for her own career, particularly during her formative years as Hannah Montana.
“Sometimes I call what I do drag because the way that I present myself is just someone that is so different from the person that feeds the tortoise every morning,” Cyrus continued. “But again, that person’s inside of me—I just kind of have her off.”
Cyrus also reflected on the emotional weight of their shared history, specifically recalling a performance of “I Will Always Love You” during an NBC New Year’s Eve special in 2023. “I cried singing ‘I Will Always Love You’ with her,” she shared. “But I think she knew at that time that the reason I was crying is the reason that I cry now, ‘cause I know that so many—not just Dolly, which is unique. That’s family. But so many of my really stabilizing peers that I have in my life, they’re generations before me, and they’ve laid down brick-by-brick the road that I travel now, and they aren’t always going to be here for me to call them and say, What do I do now? which I always did with Dolly.”
Ultimately, Cyrus credited Parton with providing a moral and professional compass throughout her life, concluding with a simple, heartfelt sentiment: “Dolly was just always right about stuff.”
