When Dolly Parton died at the age of 80 over the summer, Miley Cyrus lost her “fairy” godmother. The pop star has since publicly paid tribute to the late legend and spoken about what people often got wrong about her. More recently, Cyrus took the stage at the Hollywood Bowl this past Friday night, and she paid her most emotional tribute to Parton yet.
Miley Cyrus’ Hollywood Bowl show is her first big concert in four years. In between playing songs from her new album Bass Persuades and hits like “Party In The U.S.A.”, “The Climb” and “Flowers”, she took a few minutes to remember Parton with a sweet memory that made the show extra special. As she revealed to the crowd of over seventeen thousand, there was a very personal reason for her choosing to bring up the late star at the venue:
I only got to see Dolly Parton live in concert one time in my entire life, and it was here.
Cyrus (as seen in a fan’s Instagram video) sat down on the stage as she went on to recall that night to the audience, saying that if it was up to the "Coat of Many Colors" singer, she’d be “standing right beside her in a matching costume" during Parton's own Bowl show. But Cyrus asked if she could simply sit in her seat and watch the show like everybody else. Parton responded with, “OK, Miley," which Cyrus quipped never really just meant “OK" from her godmother. And then this happened, per Cyrus:
So, I’m sitting in my seat back there where you are, and all of a sudden Dolly enters but I hear ‘Best of Both Worlds’. Yeah, Dolly opened by playing Hannah Montana. But, that’s not just the end of that story. She comes out like a proud aunt, ‘I don’t know if y’all know this, but my goddaughter is Hannah Montana, and she’s actually here tonight, but she’s in her seat. She didn’t want anyone to bug her. She just wanted to watch the show,’ which defeated the entire purpose of the conversation we had just had because absolutely no one was aware I was at the concert until she drew an obnoxious amount of attention to it.
How adorable of a story is that? (And, yes, I dug up the cover from 2011 which you can watch on Instagram, and it’s amazing, obviously). While an 18-year-old Miley Cyrus was a little peeved at the time over Parton bringing attention to her at a show where she just wanted to be another fan, it made for a more emotional reason to talk about Dolly that night. As she continued:
Like so many things Dolly did, that I didn’t understand at the time, sitting here with you all right now, feeling her all around me, knowing that she’s right here beside me everyday, all the time, more than she could be when she was here. I feel her, now more than ever. Knowing that I get to share this story with you all, it makes that night very worth it. This memory is gold to me.
Cyrus’ speech is so genuine and nearly had me in tears as I watched her get choked up about Dolly Parton. It’s so clear how important and beautiful their bond was, and I love that she shared a story that really illustrates that bond on a more realistic and familial level. Like, of course if Dolly was your godmother she would embarrass you on stage! Cyrus ended her speech with these words:
Me and Dolly, we are eternal. Nothing in this life could tear us apart. And I’m gonna see her again. I can’t fucking wait because I miss her. Some of the greatest music that we have today was written, produced and performed by my Aunt Dolly.
If I was at that show, the waterworks would've been flowing. Cyrus then sang “Jolene” for the crowd as she has many times before, but this time it hit different.
There have been a lot of celebrity tributes for Parton, but it’s hard to top this one. It definitely makes me want to curl up and watch their work on Hannah Montana with Emily Osment and co. all over again. Cyrus is set to play the Hollywood Bowl again on Sunday night. There’s also a celebratory special for Dolly Parton hitting the 2026 TV schedule this Wednesday, October 21 on ABC. Needless to say, Dolly, we'll always love you!
