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She could help.
She turned that belief into action through Dolly Parton’s imagination library, a program that has delivered hundreds of millions of free books to children.
And then Miley Cyrus entered Dolly’s life in a way that almost seemed destined For Dolly.
It may have started simply as a promise to a friend, but over time that promise grew into something resembling a motheraughter relationship.
Throughout Miley’s childhood, Dolly remained present in a very special way.
Dolly Parton was not merely Miley’s godmother in name.
She also became like a second mother in Miley Cyrus’s life.
She was a mentor and a steadfast source of emotional support for Miley throughout her turbulent journey into adulthood and her challenging career.
Miley Cyrus has said that Dolly Parton was like a mother to her, someone who always gave her unconditional love and unwavering protection.
Miley grew up surrounded by country music stories about the stage and the image of Dolly Parton herself, a woman who was successful, humorous and always managed to remain kind, even after becoming a global icon.
So when Miley entered the entertainment industry, Dolly was not only her godmother, but gradually became a role model for her.
Miley repeatedly spoke of Dolly as an idol, an inspiration and someone who had profoundly influenced the way she viewed her own career.
Interestingly, although they are not directly related by blood, a genealogical analysis in 2024 reportedly found that Dolly Parton and Miley Cyrus are seventh cousins sharing a common ancestor named John Bricky, making the connection between them even more remarkable.
Their relationship grew even deeper when Miley became a Disney star through Hannah Montana.
In 2006,, Dolly appeared on the show as Aunt Dolly, Hannah Montana’s famous aunt Oncreen.
They played Aunt and Niece, But what made those scenes so beloved was that the relationship almost mirrored the affection they shared in real life.
Dolly was not a distant celebrity guest brought on to the show.
She was genuinely someone who had known and loved Miley since she was a child.
After Hannah Montana, their bond continued to grow as Miley matured and began searching for her own identity.
Dolly never tried to turn Miley into a copy of herself.
Nor did she object to the controversial changes in Miley’s career.
Instead, she often expressed her faith in Miley and believed that she needed to explore her own path for herself.
For Miley, it was a very special kind of love.
Dolly was both the adult who would always protect her and a veteran artist willing to give her the freedom to grow into her own person.
During periods when Miley faced intense criticism over her provocative style, Dolly Parton was always one of the people who strongly defended her.
In 2014,, when public criticism of Miley was particularly fierce, Parton spoke to Time magazine saying: “She knows what she’s doing.
I’m not worried about Miley.
I know she’s very smart and talented.
This unconditional trust and support helped Miley get through some of the most difficult periods of her career.
Billy Ray Cyrus once described the two as two peas in a pod and kindred spirits- an assessment that seems remarkably fitting.
Both have strong personalities, natural talent and a unique sense of humor.
Dolly Parton has also always called Miley my little darling and never hesitated to express her pride in her talented goddaughter during interviews.
Music was also where that relationship was expressed most clearly.
Miley once covered Jolene, one of Dolly’s most famous songs, And in 2017, the two co-wrote and recorded Rainbow Land for Miley’s album
Younger
Now.
Miley explained that she and her fairy godmother Dolly wanted to create a song about embracing differences and coming together to create positive change.
This was not simply a duet between two generations of artists.
It also showed how deeply Dolly had become a part of Miley’s artistic perspective.
They also shared the stage many times at major events.
In 2019, Miley joined Dolly for a performance of Jolene at the Grammys during a special tribute honoring Dolly.
Alongside numerous other artists, Dolly later appeared on Miley’s Miley’s New Year’s Eve party in 2022, where the two performed several songs together.