Miley Cyrus Credits Godmother Dolly Parton for Her Authentic Persona

Miley Cyrus has spent a lot of her life learning how to balance the person she is along with the larger-than-life persona that the world perceives. Her godmother and lifelong mentor, the late Dolly Parton , helped her understand that the two could coexist.

Parton died Aug. 25 at age 80 following a brief battle with cancer, as previously reported by Billboard . Cyrus, who has long referred to the country icon as her “Aunt Dolly,” paid tribute to her godmother the following day, writing that their “most sacred moments were private” and would remain that way. She also revealed that one of their final conversations was about “music and metamorphosis.”

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In a new interview on Apple Music’s The Zane Lowe Show , Cyrus spoke about her relationship with Parton, whom she described as one of the people she could always turn to for advice. As Cyrus continues to navigate her career after Parton’s death, she pondered the ways her godmother influenced everything. Apparently, the late country star influenced things from performance to how Cyrus approached some of the most difficult times of her career.

“Dolly has been the first person, when I get a vinyl printed, that’s the first person I send it to,” Cyrus said in the interview. “Since I’ve been making vinyls.”

The tradition took on a poignant meaning with Cyrus’ upcoming album, Bass Persuades . She said that the last conversation she had with Parton was actually about the new record, and that she still plans to send Parton a copy, as she always has.

“I’m going to send her a vinyl because I always do,” Cyrus said.

Cyrus explained that although she and Parton could seem very different on the surface, the contrast was part of what made their relationship so meaningful. She pointed to Parton’s ability to understand the artifice surrounding being a celebrity while still maintaining a reputation for being so genuine and authentic. It resonates with Cyrus to this day, whose own career has involved moving between distinct public personas, from her years as Disney Channel’s Hannah Montana to her evolution as a pop and rock artist.

“There was a time in my life … so much of my life was about persona,” Cyrus said. “And I think a way that I look at that [is], you can have a persona and still be who you are. [That’s] because I had Dolly.”

Cyrus went on to describe aspects of the persona she has onstage as a form of “drag,” explaining that the person she presents herself as onstage is different from the quieter version of herself who feeds her tortoise every morning. But, she emphasized, both versions are still utterly her.

Parton also helped Cyrus understand how to approach the emotional side of performing. Cyrus talked about a time when Parton once watched her perform “End of the World” at Chateau Marmont and questioned why she was crying.

Cyrus explained that the song was about the world ending and never seeing her mother again. Parton’s response, according to Cyrus, was essentially a reminder that music could be a form of escapism. It’s OK that the audience cries, but keep moving through the performance.

And while Parton understood Cyrus’ emotionality, Cyrus said that her ability to cry onstage was also part of what made her performances so difficult.

“I always cry, I can’t help it,” she said. “‘End of the World,’ I start crying.”

The advice Cyrus received from Parton became significant when she was preparing to return to the Grammys following a difficult period in her life. Cyrus recalled visiting Parton in Nashville and telling her she didn’t feel ready to perform. Rather than letting Cyrus retreat back into her shell, Parton encouraged her to get back into her performer mindset.

“She’s like, ‘Get your hair teased and get a dress that you love,'” Cyrus remembers. Additionally, Parton told her to channel her “Hannah Montana, [her] Dolly Parton, [her] RuPaul,” because she has those parts of herself. Cyrus also said that Parton understood that she wanted to perform even when she was struggling to access those parts of herself.

“Dolly was just always right about stuff,” Cyrus said.

Watch the full interview below.

_Originally reported by [Billboard](https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/miley-cyrus-dolly-parton-influence-zane-lowe-interview-1236342855/)._