Miley Cyrus is reflecting on her final conversation with her godmother, country music legend Dolly Parton, who died last month at the age of 80. In a recent wide-ranging interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, Cyrus spoke emotionally about Parton’s influence on her life, career and approach to music.
Cyrus revealed that the last conversation she had with Parton centered on her upcoming 10th studio album, Bass Persuades, which is set to be released Friday. She explained that Parton had long been one of the first people to receive a vinyl copy whenever Cyrus released a new record, making the album an especially meaningful subject for their final conversation.
“Dolly has been the first person that when I get a vinyl printed, that’s the first person I send it to,” Cyrus said, explaining that she had planned to send Parton a copy of the new album as well.
The singer also reflected on the similarities between herself and Parton despite their very different public personas. Cyrus said Parton was known for her elaborate hair, makeup and glamorous performances, but emphasized that it was Parton’s authenticity that ultimately drew people to her.
Cyrus said she connected with Parton’s ability to maintain a larger-than-life persona while remaining genuine. She compared that experience with her own years as Hannah Montana, the Disney character that helped launch her career. According to Cyrus, her time as Hannah Montana taught her that having a public persona does not necessarily mean losing sight of who she is privately.
“There was a time in my life — we hit on it with Hannah — [where] so much of my life was about persona,” Cyrus explained. She said having Parton as an example helped her understand how someone can create a character or image while still remaining authentic underneath it.
The singer also discussed the emotional side of her performances and recalled conversations with Parton about her tendency to cry while performing. Cyrus said she often becomes emotional during songs such as “End of the World,” explaining that the lyrics can bring up thoughts about the end of the world and never seeing her mother again.
According to Cyrus, once watched her perform on David Letterman and questioned why she was crying. Cyrus recalled Parton reminding her that music should provide an escape for audiences and encouraging her to get through the performance rather than becoming overwhelmed by her emotions.
Cyrus acknowledged that she understood Parton’s perspective but said she could not simply separate her emotions from her performances. She added that Parton loved her for being that way.
The conversation also touched on Cyrus’ emotional reaction to performing “I Will Always Love You” alongside Parton. While Lowe joked that Parton might be the only person capable of singing the iconic song without crying, Cyrus admitted that she herself became emotional while performing it with her godmother.
For Cyrus, those emotions were connected to the realization that many of the people who have provided stability and guidance throughout her career belong to generations before her. She described Parton and other longtime mentors as people who had built the path she now follows.
Cyrus said that knowing those people would not always be available for her to call and ask for advice made their loss particularly difficult. She described Parton as someone she could consistently turn to whenever she needed guidance, adding that Parton was “always right” in the way a mother often seems to be.
Parton’s influence on Cyrus extended well beyond their family connection. The two worked together on several musical projects over the years, and Parton remained an important figure throughout Cyrus’ career.
Following Parton’s death in August after a brief battle with cancer, Cyrus paid tribute to her godmother on Instagram. She described the loss as difficult to put into words and said that some of their most meaningful moments had remained private, away from the public attention surrounding their careers.
Cyrus also recalled the guidance Parton had given her about dealing with grief. She wrote that Parton would have wanted her to feel the loss, turn those emotions into music and continue forward with strength.
One of their final conversations, Cyrus revealed in her tribute, was once again about music and transformation a theme that also featured prominently in her recent conversation with Lowe.
For Cyrus, Parton was not only a legendary musician and family figure but also a trusted source of advice throughout her life. As she prepares to release Bass Persuades, the album now carries an added emotional significance, coming after one of the final conversations she shared with the woman she had long looked to for guidance.
