It’s been one month since beloved country icon Dolly Parton died at age 80. Billy Ray Cyrus had a decades-long friendship that included Parton appearing with him on his daughter Miley Cyrus’ hit on Disney show “Hannah Montana.” Parton was even godmother to Miley. The “Jolene” hitmaker’s death rocked Cyrus, and he’s opening up about life after losing his beloved friend.
Billy Ray Cyrus Speaks Out on Life Without Dolly Parton
Speaking with People magazine on September 25, which was dubbed Dolly Parton Day, Cyrus revealed how he views life since her death.
“There’s a countdown for me of when it has been one month. I forever see that number 25 has changed in a different way. I call it A.D. After Dolly. We’re adjusting to a world without Dolly, and her light still shines. That’s the beauty of it,” the singer shared with the outlet.
Parton died on August 25, which was Cyrus’ 65th birthday. It’s another reason the number 25 now has a different meaning for him, as does the day he was born.
Despite the sadness over losing Parton, Cyrus shared that when he thinks about the country legend, he’s always reminded of her laugh.
“She was so funny,” he expressed. Then he recalled the time when he was recording at a studio in Burbank and Parton brought his whole crew a fried chicken dinner with all the fixings.
Cyrus went on to say, “It was probably the best day of my relationship with her because it was first, centered around music. Second, she’d made dinner for everybody, brought it in a big basket with a checkered tablecloth over top of it. I mean, the way she did that was first class.”
Dolly Parton Day
In honor of Parton’s mega-hit song “9 to 5,” various cities around the world declared September 25 Dolly Party Day to celebrate the country legend. Nashville was front and center with the celebration, as was Cyrus.
During his interview with People magazine, the “Achy Breaky Heart” singer opened up about the day to remember and pay tribute to his friend. Cyrus called Parton a combination of Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, and Mother Theresa.
“A star of a magnitude beyond this planet. It’s a celebration, and that’s what today is. Dolly is just such a light in the world. We all celebrate this day of all of her love and humanity. She treated every single human being that came in her path with love and grace,” he stated.
Cyrus also recently shared a never-before-seen letter on social media that he received from Parton when they first met back in 1992. The singer called it one of his most prized possessions. In the letter, Parton expressed how thrilled she was to be working with him.
Parton also referred to Cyrus as “special” and wished him success for “years to come.” She recalled blushing when she first met Cyrus and apologized for it in her letter.
The friendship between Cyrus and Parton was a bond he will never forget. Cyrus plans to celebrate his friend for years to come and honor the legacy she left behind, filled with kindness and love.
