The Miley Cyrus August 25 tribute to Dolly Parton carries a weight that goes far beyond grief. August 25 (the date Dolly reportedly lost a private battle to cancer) is the same date Miley has described as one of the most personally significant in her entire career.
According to KARK, Parton was 80 years old and died peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, in Nashville, Tennessee. The loss follows a year in which the Parton family has already endured enormous grief: earlier this year, Dolly’s brother, Coy ‘Denver’ Parton, died at the age of 82, the fifth of her siblings to have passed away, following brothers Larry, David, Randy, and Floyd.
For Miley, the date of Dolly’s death landed with particular force. She broke her silence on social media with a carefully chosen statement. ‘The feeling of losing my Aunt Dolly is beyond what feels right to share. Our most sacred moments were private and they’ll stay there behind the stage, beneath the glamour and between our hearts,’ she wrote.
‘What I KNOW is Dolly would want me to feel it, write a song about it, and then continue on and be strong. I have an angel by my side. I always have. One of our last conversations was about music and metamorphosis.’ She closed with: ‘I will always love her and want to make her proud. My heart breaks for the world, her family and friends who will miss her deeply. We’re in this loss together and we will see her in all of the most beautiful things.’
Why Miley Cyrus August 25 Has Always Meant So Much
The date is not random. In a 2023 interview for her Endless Summer Vacation (Backyard Sessions) special, which aired on Disney+ and ABC, Miley explained exactly why she chose August 25 to release her single ‘Used to Be Young’. ‘I decided to release “Used To Be Young” on August 25 because this particular date historically has been important to me personally and in my career,’ she said at the time.
The history behind that statement is substantial. Back in 2013, she released ‘Wrecking Ball’ on August 25, hours before taking the stage at the VMAs. The performance, alongside Robin Thicke, became one of the most talked-about moments in her career. Then, on August 24, 2014, ‘Wrecking Ball’ took home VMA Video of the Year, with a young unhoused man accepting the Moon Person trophy on Miley’s behalf. August 25 also happens to be the birthday of her dad, Billy Ray Cyrus.
The song that defined that era of Miley’s career became a thread connecting her to Dolly, too. Parton covered ‘Wrecking Ball’ for her 2023 album Rockstar and was open about why. ‘To involve Miley in my rock ‘n’ roll album, I thought, well, I have to do “Wrecking Ball,” because I love Miley and I love the song,’ Dolly told Billboard. ‘I’m very proud of it. My version, and hers, and ours.’
‘Wrecking Ball’ and the Bond That Lasted
The two performed together for the last time during Miley’s 2023 New Year’s Eve special, singing a medley of ‘Wrecking Ball’ and ‘I Will Always Love You’. It was a full-circle moment: the song that marked Miley’s post-Disney reinvention brought together godmother and goddaughter on one of the biggest broadcast nights of the year.
Dolly’s death on August 25 means the Miley Cyrus August 25 story now carries something it never did before. A date that was already loaded with career milestones and personal memory has taken on another layer entirely. Miley put it plainly in her tribute: she has an angel by her side, and she always has.
Dolly Parton was 80. She died in Nashville, surrounded by loved ones.