Most knew her as Dolly Parton. Many millennials and Gen Z, though, were introduced to her as Miley Stewart’s Aunt Dolly.
The queen of country had made a name for herself far before she ever cameoed on a young Miley Cyrus‘ budding new Disney Channel series Hannah Montana. By 2006, she’d already won seven Grammy Awards, picked up her two Academy Award nominations and earned two Billboard Hot 100 hits.
But for a younger generation (Gen Z and some Millennials, that is), the sitcom was the first time they were greeted to the likes of the one and only Dolly Parton, Cyrus’ real-life godmother. Cyrus herself posted a tribute to her godmother on Wednesday, writing that “I will always love her and want to make her proud.”
Parton died Tuesday at 80, following a “brief battle with cancer,” her reps told People. Amid her death, a wave of tributes were penned by celebrities, including Cyrus’ father and Hannah Montana co-star Billy Ray Cyrus.
“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,” he wrote on Instagram. “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.”
