Miley Cyrus Pays Emotional Tribute After Godmother Dolly Parton Dies.

Dolly Parton died Tuesday at age 80 after a short battle with cancer. Miley Cyrus posted a public tribute the next morning calling Parton her "Aunt Dolly" and vowing to make her proud.

• Billy Ray Cyrus asked Parton to be Miley's godmother when she was born in 1992.
• 1992 was also the year Billy Ray and Parton toured together after "Achy Breaky Heart" charted.
• Parton appeared on Hannah Montana multiple times across its four seasons as "Aunt Dolly."
• The two performed together at the 2019 Grammy Awards and co-hosted NBC's New Year's Eve special in 2022.

Why it matters: Parton was present throughout Cyrus's life from infancy through her adult career, serving as godmother, on-screen family, collaborator, and adviser.

• Parton told Good Morning America in 2009: "Her father's a friend of mine, and when she was born, he said, 'You just have to be her godmother,' and I said, 'I accept.'"
• Parton told Howard Stern that Cyrus "runs things by me" and called her "a spectacular human being and an amazing talent."

How 17 sources split on this story

What’s next: Parton's cause of death has not been publicly released.

• Cyrus wrote that one of their last conversations was about music and metamorphosis.
• What form will Cyrus's planned tribute song take, and when will it be released?
• Will Parton's death prompt new releases or vault material from their collaborations?