Yes, Dolly Parton really was Miley Cyrus’s godmother.

Their relationship wasn’t something invented for television or a nickname created by fans. Dolly had known Miley’s family since before the singer was born and became a genuine mentor and family figure throughout Miley Cyrus’s life.

And in a surprising twist, researchers later discovered that Dolly and Miley were actually distantly related too.

How did Dolly Parton become Miley Cyrus’s godmother?

The connection began with Miley Cyrus’s father, Billy Ray Cyrus.

Billy Ray became one of country music’s biggest stars following the release of “Achy Breaky Heart” in 1992, and he developed a friendship with Dolly Parton while the two performed and toured together.

When Billy Ray and Tish Cyrus were expecting Miley, Dolly became close to the family.

Dolly later explained that she had known Miley since before she was born and already thought of herself as something of a godmother to the child.

Miley Cyrus was born on November 23, 1992, and Dolly went on to become her godmother.

Rather than simply holding the title, Dolly remained closely involved in Miley’s life as she grew up and later entered the entertainment industry herself.

Was Dolly Parton related to Miley Cyrus?

For most of their lives, Dolly Parton and Miley Cyrus believed their relationship was through friendship rather than blood.

Then came a surprising discovery.

Genealogy company Ancestry revealed in 2024 that Dolly Parton and Miley Cyrus were actually seventh cousins, once removed.

Researchers traced both musicians back to a shared ancestor named John Brickey, who was born in Virginia in 1740 before later settling in Tennessee.

That makes their family connection extremely distant, but it also means Miley’s famous godmother happened to be part of her extended family after all.

Dolly herself appeared surprised when she was told about the discovery.

Dolly Parton was “Aunt Dolly” on Hannah Montana

Millions of younger fans first became aware of the relationship through Hannah Montana.

The Disney Channel series starred Miley Cyrus as teenager Miley Stewart, who secretly lived a second life as pop superstar Hannah Montana.

Dolly appeared several times on the programme playing “Aunt Dolly.”

The character was also Hannah’s godmother, meaning the television relationship closely mirrored Dolly and Miley’s real-life connection.

Dolly first appeared in the season one episode “Good Golly Miss Dolly” and returned for further appearances including “I Will Always Loathe You” and “Kiss It All Goodbye.”

For a generation of Disney Channel viewers, Dolly Parton became almost as recognisable as Aunt Dolly as she was for songs such as “Jolene” and “9 to 5.”

Dolly Parton became a mentor to Miley Cyrus

Their connection continued long after Hannah Montana ended.

As Miley moved from Disney star to one of the biggest pop artists in the world, Dolly regularly supported her career while also encouraging her to make her own decisions.

That relationship became particularly important as Miley attempted to establish an identity outside the Hannah Montana character.

Dolly repeatedly defended Miley’s right to develop as an artist rather than expecting her to remain the person audiences remembered from Disney Channel.

Miley has similarly described Dolly as far more than just a famous family friend.

She has spoken about the advice Dolly gave her and the influence Parton had on the way she approached both music and life.

Did Dolly Parton and Miley Cyrus make music together?

Yes. The pair collaborated numerous times.

One of their best-known recordings together is “Rainbowland” from Miley Cyrus’s 2017 album Younger Now.

Dolly also appeared with Miley on the Christmas song “Christmas Is” from Parton’s 2020 album A Holly Dolly Christmas.

Miley has also become closely associated with Dolly’s classic “Jolene.”

Her performance of “Jolene” during The Backyard Sessions became one of Miley’s most popular live recordings, and the two later performed the song together.

Another memorable moment came when Miley and Dolly co-hosted Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party.

During the show, they combined Miley’s “Wrecking Ball” with Dolly’s “I Will Always Love You” in a performance that highlighted just how closely their musical careers had become connected.

Dolly also recruited Miley alongside Lainey Wilson, Queen Latifah and Reba McEntire for a new version of “Light of a Clear Blue Morning” released around Dolly’s 80th birthday in 2026.

Was Dolly Parton Miley Cyrus’s real aunt?

No.

Despite being known as “Aunt Dolly,” Dolly Parton was not Miley Cyrus’s aunt.

The nickname reflected how close she was to the Cyrus family and was later used for her character on Hannah Montana.

Technically, the later genealogical discovery means Dolly and Miley were distant cousins rather than aunt and niece.

But emotionally, their relationship appears to have been much closer than that distant family connection suggests.

Why was Dolly Parton so important to Miley Cyrus?

Dolly occupied an unusual position in Miley’s life.

She understood what it was like to become enormously famous while maintaining a distinct public image, but she was also close enough to Miley personally to offer advice away from the pressures of the music industry.

Dolly had spent decades controlling her songwriting, publishing, businesses and public identity.

For Miley, she offered an example of how an artist could constantly evolve without allowing the entertainment industry to completely define them.

Their relationship also crossed generations of music fans.

Dolly emerged as a country star in the 1960s.

Miley became famous through Disney in the 2000s before transforming into a global pop and rock artist.

Yet songs such as “Jolene” allowed their audiences to overlap.

So, was Dolly Parton really Miley Cyrus’s godmother?

Yes.

Dolly Parton was Miley Cyrus’s godmother and had been part of her life since before Miley was born.

What began through Dolly’s friendship with Billy Ray Cyrus developed into a decades-long relationship involving family, television, music and mentorship.

The later discovery that Dolly Parton and Miley Cyrus were also distant cousins only made the story even more remarkable.

For millions of Hannah Montana viewers she may have been Aunt Dolly.

For Miley Cyrus, however, Dolly Parton really was family.