Miley Cyrus has vulnerably opened up about how her late godmother, Dolly Parton, sent her a supernatural sign before her sold-out shows at the Hollywood Bowl.
“I actually have a Dolly model in my room,” the Grammy winner told a packed audience – of nearly 18,000 – before singing Parton’s 1974 hit “Jolene” in Los Angeles on Sunday.
“She gave it to me for Christmas, and he’s dressed like her, he’s built like her, and when I was alone I took out my phone and played ‘Jolene’ for her on video – I just held it up to the model and lit a candle.”
“I laid a flower down for her and said, ‘Dolly, if you’re here right now, turn on the lights,’” Cyrus, 33, explained. “And I didn’t say anything out loud, but the whole hallway started flashing.”
The “Flowers” singer pointed in the direction of her fiancé, Maxx Morando, 27, saying the drummer was also nearby but was unaware of what she said.
“But I know (Dolly) is here with me tonight, and I feel some of the feelings that scare me the most, but having her here with me gets me through it, and having you here with me gets me through it,” said emotionally.
“So whatever it takes, this show is for you. And for Dolly,” she concluded, before launching into her rendition of “Jolene.”
Later that night, Cyrus cried while holding a framed photo of Parton and singing her 2023 hit “Used To Be Young.”
“Let my Aunt Dolly hear you,” she told the audience.
The “Wrecking Ball” singer paid tribute to Parton throughout Sunday’s concert, also displaying the country singer icon’s Hollywood Walk of Fame star while singing her 2025 hit “Walk of Fame.”
Additionally, Cyrus broke down in tears while talking about her bond with Parton during Friday night’s concert.
“Me and Dolly are forever. Nothing in this life can ever tear us apart,” she told the crowd. “And I’m going to see her again. And I can’t wait because I miss her.”
Cyrus performed to another sold-out crowd for her second night at the Hollywood Bowl on Sunday alongside opening act Model/Actriz.
The hitmaker’s stunning set included many of her biggest tracks, including her 2009 track “The Climb” from “Hannah Montana: The Movie,” her beloved 2009 song “Party in the USA” and her 2013 hit “Wrecking Ball.”
The Disney alum surprised fans with a special performance of her 2025 track “Karen Don’t Be Sad” featuring Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips.
Cyrus also welcomed Morando on stage to play drums on her new song “Let’s Get Married” during the encore.
The couple, who got engaged in 2025 after four years of dating, appeared smitten throughout the love song, with Cyrus kissing her fiancé before leaving the stage.
The “Hannah Montana” alum closed the show with her Grammy-winning hit “Flowers” to cheers from the electrified crowd.
Cyrus emotionally hosted two nights at the Bowl months after Parton died following a brief battle with cancer at the age of 80 on August 25.
“The feeling of losing my Aunt Dolly goes beyond what it seems right to share,” the actress wrote in a tribute on Instagram.
“Our most sacred moments were private and they will stay there behind the stage, under the glamor and between our hearts…I will always love her and want to make her proud.”
The “9 to 5” singer was close friends with Miley’s father, Billy Ray Cyrus. The “Old Town Road” crooner asked Parton to be Miley’s godmother when she was born in 1992.
Over the years, Parton and Miley have shared the spotlight, often performing “Jolene” together, including on the 2010 Hallmark special “Dolly Celebrates 25 Years of Dollywood” and at the 2019 Grammy Awards.
Parton also appeared in several episodes of “Hannah Montana,” which aired from 2006 to 2011, as “Aunt Dolly.”
The “Malibu” singer has gushed about Parton several times in the past, even calling her an honorary mother during a 2024 interview with W magazine.
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