Miley Cyrus Pays Tearful Tribute to Dolly Parton

Miley Cyrus paid tribute to her late godmother Dolly Parton during a Hollywood Bowl performance on Friday, October 16, becoming tearful as she recalled their relationship and performed Parton’s song “Jolene.” Cyrus told the audience that she had watched Parton perform at the same venue once, choosing to sit among the crowd rather than join her godmother onstage. In Cyrus’s account, Parton opened that concert with “The Best of Both Worlds,” the theme song from Cyrus’s television series “Hannah Montana,” then told the audience that her goddaughter was in the crowd. Cyrus described the memory as precious and said that, as she performed at the Hollywood Bowl, she felt Parton’s presence. She told the audience that their bond was eternal and that she missed Parton. Her remarks became emotional before she introduced “Jolene,” a song written and performed by Parton. The performance and Cyrus’s onstage account were reported across coverage of the concert. The recollection of the earlier show, including Parton’s decision to announce Cyrus’s presence, comes from Cyrus’s remarks; it was not independently established in the reports. Cyrus also paid tribute through a performance of her own...