THE RUNDOWN
- Miley Cyrus honored her late godmother, Dolly Parton, during her first concert at the Hollywood Bowl.
- Cyrus was emotional as she reflected on their bond.
- She performed Parton’s iconic “Jolene.”
Miley Cyrus is holding on to her memories of Dolly Parton. During her concert at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles on Friday, October 16, the singer paid tribute to her late godmother in an emotional six-minute speech that included a rendition of one of her most notable songs.
“I only got to see Dolly Parton live in concert one time in my entire life, and it was here,” she told the audience about the significance of the space she opted to host her two-night limited performances of Bass Persuades. It was Cyrus’s first time performing at the iconic venue.
The singer then recalled asking Parton if she could attend that show without performing alongside her, hoping to experience the concert as a regular audience member. Parton agreed, but she had other plans. She opened that show with “The Best of Both Worlds,” the theme song from Cyrus’s Disney Channel series Hannah Montana, before announcing to the crowd that her goddaughter was in the audience.
Cyrus joked that the moment defeated her plan to watch the show quietly. Looking back, however, she said it was worth it. “This memory is gold to me,” she said.
The singer grew more emotional as she reflected on how she continues to feel Parton’s presence following her death in August.
“Me and Dolly, we are eternal,” she continued. “Nothing in this life could ever tear us apart.”
Cyrus then tearfully expressed how much she misses her godmother, telling the audience, “I’m gonna see her again, and I can’t fucking wait ’cause I miss her.”
Before launching into “Jolene,” Cyrus also celebrated Parton’s lasting musical legacy. “Some of the greatest music that we have today was written, produced, performed by my aunt Dolly, and this is one of those songs.”
“She’s right here beside me every day,” Cyrus noted. “All the time more than she could be when she was here. I feel her, more now than ever.”