Miley Cyrus has broken her silence following the death of her godmother, country music icon Dolly Parton. The legendary singer passed away on Tuesday after a brief battle with cancer at the age of 80, and had been a guiding figure in Miley's career.
Heartfelt social media tribute
In the wake of the tragic news, Miley joined a host of celebrities in paying tribute, sharing a heartfelt statement on social media. Posting on Instagram, she wrote: "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 and between our hearts."
"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."
Lifelong bond with Dolly Parton
Miley, the daughter of country star Billy Ray Cyrus, first met Dolly when her father released his hit track 'Achy Breaky Heart' in the early 1990s and was invited to support Dolly on tour. Later that year, when Miley was born, the Cyrus family asked Dolly to become her godmother.
During an appearance on The Howard Stern Show, Dolly shared: "We just got to be good friends because he's a Kentucky boy, I'm from Tennessee. I love Miley. She's my little sweetheart. I've known her since before she was born, actually."
On-screen partnership in Hannah Montana
When Miley landed her breakthrough role in 2006 as the lead in the Disney Channel sitcom Hannah Montana, where she played a schoolgirl leading a double life as a world-famous pop star, she immediately requested that the scriptwriters create a part for her godmother.
Dolly made three guest appearances as Aunt Dolly on the sitcom, often helping Miley navigate complex situations. The line between reality and fiction became blurred on the sitcom and by the time of her final appearance, it was suggested that Aunt Dolly had her own long-standing showbiz career, assisting Miley in adjusting to a total lack of privacy after revealing her identity to the world.
During an emotional conversation with Miley while co-hosting an NBC New Year's Special, Dolly expressed: "From the bottom of my heart, I am proud of you and I'm proud to be your fairy godmother."
"When you had me in Hannah Montana you helped my career and introduced me to new fans, young fans, of course they are not as young as they used to be!"
In her tribute, Miley added: "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."
