LOS ANGELES — Singer Miley Cyrus offered a tearful tribute to her late godmother, country music legend Dolly Parton, during a concert at the Hollywood Bowl on Friday night, marking her first major headlining show in several years.
Sitting at the edge of the stage, Cyrus spoke openly about her relationship with Parton, who died on Aug. 25 following a brief struggle with cancer. The emotional reflection came during the first of two sold-out weekend concerts at the historic outdoor venue in Los Angeles, Rolling Stone reported.
Remembering a special night at the Bowl
Addressing the audience, Cyrus recalled that the Hollywood Bowl held unique personal meaning because it was the only venue where she had ever witnessed Parton perform a full concert live. Cyrus explained that she had hoped to sit in the crowd simply to take in the performance as an ordinary fan, rather than appearing onstage in matching wardrobe as Parton often requested.
Parton, however, had other ideas. During that performance, the country star announced Cyrus’ presence to the entire amphitheater and began singing “The Best of Both Worlds,” the theme song from Cyrus’ Disney Channel program “Hannah Montana.” Cyrus told the audience on Friday that while the shoutout undercut her hopes for an inconspicuous evening, she deeply treasures that memory today.
“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 every day, all the time, more than she could be when she was here, I feel her more than ever,” Cyrus said, as reported by Variety. “This memory is gold to me. Me and Dolly, we are eternal. Nothing in this life could ever tear us apart. And I’m going to see her again, and I can’t fucking wait because I miss her.”
Wiping away tears, Cyrus then sang Parton’s signature track “Jolene,” which was first released in the 1970s, as a photograph of Parton appeared behind her onstage, according to the New York Post. The outlet also noted that celebrities including Selena Gomez and Christina Aguilera attended the performance.
A lifelong personal and musical bond
Parton became close to the Cyrus family in the early 1990s after touring with Miley’s father, Billy Ray Cyrus, during the peak popularity of his hit song “Achy Breaky Heart.” When Miley Cyrus was born in 1992, Parton was named her godmother. Over the ensuing decades, Parton made recurring guest appearances as Aunt Dolly on “Hannah Montana” and frequently shared the stage with Cyrus for duets.
Following Parton’s passing in August, Cyrus wrote on social media that the loss ran deeper than words could convey, adding that her godmother would want her to channel grief into songwriting and remain resilient.
Friday’s performance also marked the debut of several songs from Cyrus’ latest album release, “Bass Persuades,” along with a guest appearance by the Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne and an encore featuring drummer Maxx Morando on “Let’s Get Married” and “Flowers,” Rolling Stone noted.
Cyrus is scheduled to perform the second show of her Hollywood Bowl stand on Sunday, a date that marks 19 years since her very first headlining concert tour, though it remains unannounced whether she plans to mount an extensive road tour in the future.
