Miley Cyrus remembers godmother Dolly Parton: 'I will always love her’

LOS ANGELES - Miley Cyrus mourned the loss of her godmother Dolly Parton, who died Tuesday at the age of 80 following a brief battle with cancer. 

Miley Cyrus on Dolly Parton

What they're saying:

"The feeling of losing my Aunt Dolly is beyond what feels right to share," Cyrus shared in a post on Instagram on Wednesday. "Our most sacred moments were private and they’ll stay there behind the stage, beneath the glamour & between our hearts."

She added: "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." 

Cyrus continued in her post, "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." 

A lifelong bond between Dolly Parton and Miley Cyrus

Dig deeper:

Dolly Parton and Miley Cyrus shared a relationship that went far beyond their musical collaborations. 

Parton was part of Cyrus’ life since she was born, forming a close familial bond that continued alongside their successful careers in music and entertainment.

Parton famously portrayed Cyrus’ on-screen godmother on "Hannah Montana," making occasional appearances throughout the Disney Channel series’ four seasons. Their relationship also extended to the stage, where the two have performed together numerous times over the years.

In 2022, Cyrus and Parton co-hosted NBC’s "Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party" from Miami, Florida. The pair shared the stage for performances of some of their biggest songs, including "Wrecking Ball" and "I Will Always Love You."

Parton had long spoken affectionately about her relationship with Cyrus. In a 2009 interview with "Good Morning America," she recalled being asked by Cyrus’ father, Billy Ray Cyrus, to become the young singer’s godmother after her birth. Parton accepted, even though the pair never held a formal ceremony.

"I’ve known her since she was a baby," Parton told the news network in 2009. "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 do a big ceremony, but I’m so proud of her, love her, and she’s just like one of my own."

Dolly Parton dies at 80

The backstory:

Parton died Tuesday following a career spanning nearly 60 years.

Parton had sold more than 100 million records worldwide and leaves behind an indelible mark on the music industry. 

"I have imagined the heaviness of this moment, but haven't truly felt it until now," Dolly's nephew Bryan Seaver said in the video post. "Dolly has lived the light and is in the arms of Jesus, surely met by Carl, her parents, and countless others who have watched her and longed for her to meet them in the heavens."

RELATED: Dolly Parton, music icon, dies at 80 following 'brief battle with cancer'

Later on Tuesday, her representatives also confirmed she died following a "brief battle with cancer."

"After bravely facing a brief battle with cancer, Dolly departed her Earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by loved ones," the statement, in part, said.

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