Miley Cyrus Recalls Final Talk With Dolly Parton: 'She Was Always Right'

Miley Cyrus has spoken publicly about her final conversation with her godmother, the country music legend Dolly Parton, describing how the older singer shaped her understanding of the line between a stage persona and an authentic self.

In an interview with Apple Music's Zane Lowe, Cyrus said the last time the two spoke, she was telling Parton about her new record. She reflected that their differences were what made their bond work.

"Even though we are so different, that's what made us so perfect for each other," Cyrus said, noting that both women understood this about their relationship.

Parton, who was a godmother figure to Cyrus and shared a long connection with her, died on August 25 at the age of 80. Her death was announced by her nephew Bryan Seaver, and a representative later said she had died after a brief battle with cancer.

Cyrus said she admired Parton's ability to sustain a larger-than-life image while staying genuine. She pointed to the hair, makeup and showmanship that Parton was known for, but said audiences were drawn to how real and authentic she remained beneath it all.

Cyrus also credited Parton with helping her separate her own identity from the Hannah Montana persona that defined her early career. She said Parton showed her that a performer can carry a persona and still be true to who they are.

Describing her own stage presence, Cyrus said she sometimes calls what she does drag, because the person she presents on stage is so different from the one who feeds the tortoise every morning. That person, she added, is still inside her.

She recalled Parton's reaction to her emotional live performances, including her rendition of 'End of the World', the lead single from her 'Something Beautiful' album, on My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman. Cyrus said she began crying during the performance, and Parton later asked what she was crying about. When Cyrus explained the song was about the world ending and never seeing her mother again, Parton told her that music is escapism and to let the audience cry.

Cyrus also remembered performing alongside Parton when the two co-hosted NBC's Miley's New Year's Eve Party in 2023, saying she cried while singing 'I Will Always Love You' with her.

She said Parton understood why she became emotional, and why the loss of older mentors carries particular weight for her. Cyrus noted that many of the stabilising figures in her life belong to earlier generations, and that they will not always be around for her to call and ask what to do, as she always did with Parton.

The day after Parton's death, Cyrus paid tribute to her "Aunt Dolly" on Instagram, writing that the feeling of losing her was beyond what felt right to share, and that their most sacred moments were private and would stay that way. She said Parton would have wanted her to feel the loss, write a song about it, and carry on, adding that one of their last conversations was about music and metamorphosis.

Cyrus is set to release her new album, Bass Persuades, on Friday, September 18.