Their friendship eventually extended to his daughter.
When Miley was born, Dolly was already close to the family.
She later recalled deciding that Miley simply had to become her “fairy goddaughter.”
That relationship became part of Miley’s childhood and eventually part of her public life as well.
When Miley starred on Disney Channel’s Hannah Montana, Dolly appeared multiple times as Aunt Dolly.
The fictional relationship closely mirrored their real one.
As Miley grew older, they performed together repeatedly, blending two generations of singers whose careers had been built around unusually powerful voices and an ability to reinvent themselves.
Dolly was there through Miley’s Disney years, her controversial reinventions and her transformation into an adult artist.
Miley, in turn, repeatedly spoke about the wisdom her godmother gave her.
That history is why the singer’s first public appearance after Dolly’s death attracted so much attention.
Miley was photographed arriving at a Los Angeles recording studio on August 26, one day after Dolly’s death.
