Miley Cyrus revealed why date of Dolly Parton's death held special meaning
Following the heartbreaking death of Dolly Parton at the age of 80 yesterday, fans have discovered the date is significant for her goddaughter Miley Cyrus.
The country music icon sadly passed away on 25 August, with the news being revealed in her 'final wish' video, recorded by her nephew, Bryan Seaver.
Representatives for Parton confirmed she died following a 'brief battle with cancer'.
Parton was famously the godmother of Miley Cyrus, and the two were very close.
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In the archive footage, Cyrus was talking on her ABC special Endless Summer Vacation (Backyard Sessions) about why she chose a certain date to release her single 'Used To Be Young', which came out on 25 August 2023.
Fans soon realised what had happened, and that Parton's passing sadly coincided with a date that means a lot to Cyrus.
The star said: "I decided to release Used To Be Young on August 25th because this particular date, historically, has been important to me personally and in my career."
One fan shared the video, captioned: "Miley said that August 25th is a very important date for her, and today she received the news that her godmother passed away on this very day.
"It’s breaking my heart."
Why is 25 August significant for Miley Cyrus?
Cyrus released 'Wrecking Ball' on 25 August 2013, and it was also the same day that she made headlines for her controversial performance of 'Blurred Lines' with Robin Thicke at the MTV VMA's.
According to Parade, 25 August 2010, is the date that Miley and her ex-husband Liam Hemsworth reportedly split for the first time.
It's also her dad Billy Ray Cyrus' birthday.
Now, sadly, Cyrus can add her godmother's passing to the list of life-changing events that happened on this date.
Miley Cyrus and Dolly Parton's bond
Back in 2009, Parton told Good Morning America about her relationship with Cyrus: “I’ve known her since she was a baby, 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.’”
“We never did do a big ceremony, but I’m so proud of her, love her and she’s just like one of my own,” Parton recalled.
In 2024, Parton told Howard Stern how she and Cyrus 'stayed very, very close'.
“Well, she’s asked me a lot of things, and she mostly just runs things by me, and we talk," she explained.
She praised her goddaughter's musical talents: "She’s very successful. Miley is very smart, she’s very intuitive about the business, and I just think Miley is a spectacular human being and an amazing talent."
Billy Ray Cyrus also paid tribute to the legend, writing: “I have so many moments and memories with Dolly, it’s hard to know where to start. Like every little boy, I grew up loving Dolly Parton.
"She was a part of our lives, on our TV’s, right in our living rooms.
“In 1992, I’ll never forget walking into her dressing room to apologise for all the tabloid stories which claimed I was having an affair with her.
“In true Dolly fashion, she just looked at me, winked and said, ‘Honey, this trash sells records!’”
He revealed: "Dolly recently sent me a beautiful message, telling me she loved me with her whole heart. I will always love her in the same way ….. with my whole heart … and I always will.”
As well as her bond with Miley and Billy Ray Cyrus, one person close to Parton that many of her fans know little about is her husband Carl Dean.
Who was Dolly Parton's husband Carl Dean?
Despite being married for 58 years, Dolly Parton rarely lifted the lid on her marriage to Carl Dean, who died in 2025.
The pair met in Nashville in 1964, when Parton had just moved there, as she recalled to Interview Magazine in 1984: "I graduated on a Friday night, went to Nashville on a Saturday morning with dirty clothes and I went to a Laundromat looking for anything but love.
"I had just left two boyfriends back home and I wasn’t looking to get involved because I had gone to Nashville to really get started in the business. I met him at the Why Washy and he’s been wishy washy ever since."
Dean previously admitted of Parton: "My first thought was 'I'm gonna marry that girl'. My second thought was, 'Lord she’s good lookin'."
After dating for two years, Parton and Dean tied the knot - despite Parton's record label at the time not wanting her to get married over fears of it having a negative impact on her career.
Dean, who owned and operated his own road-building business, was always incredibly supportive of his wife's career, with Parton telling the New York Times that he 'never tried to make me give it up'.
He also inspired many of Parton's hit tracks - 'Jolene' was partly based on a bank teller who once flirted with him, and love songs 'From Here to the Moon and Back', 'Forever Love' and 'Say You'll Be Mine' were inspired by their romance.
Despite appearing on the cover of her album My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy, Dean was a notoriously private person and he very rarely was seen in public with his wife.
Parton respected his need for privacy and she never expected him to show up to public events or concerts, with her admitting that 'he loves to hear the things I do' while she also 'loves to hear the things he does'.
The couple's dynamic clearly worked well for them, as they were married for 58 years up until Dean's death at the age of 82 in 2025.
"Words can’t do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years," Parton said when his death was announced.
Topics: Miley Cyrus, Celebrity, Entertainment, US News
Jen Thomas