Billy Ray Cyrus shared an emotional tribute to his close friend and collaborator Dolly Parton following her shocking death on Tuesday.
Cyrus, 65, previously toured and recorded with Parton and even named the late singer as his daughter Miley’s godmother.
His official statement on Parton’s passing was released about two hours after he posted an ill-timed birthday tribute to himself shortly after her death was announced to the public.
‘I have so many moments and memories with Dolly, it’s hard to know where to start. Like any little boy, I grew up with Dolly Parton. She was part of our lives, on our TVs, in the middle of our living rooms,” he wrote.
The 65-year-old then reflected on old gossip rumors that he and Parton had an affair while on tour together in the early 1990s.
‘I’ll never forget walking into her dressing room in 1992 to apologize for all the tabloid stories claiming I was having an affair with her. In true Dolly fashion, she just looked at me, winked and said, ‘Honey, this junk sells records!'” he recalled.
Billy Ray Cyrus shared an emotional tribute to his close friend and collaborator Dolly Parton following her shocking death on Tuesday
The legendary country singer’s death was confirmed Tuesday in an Instagram video posted by her cousin Bryan Seaver
Cyrus then revealed Parton’s final words to him, writing, “Dolly recently sent me a beautiful message telling me she loved me with all her heart. I will always love her the same way… with all my heart… and it always will be that way.”
Just two hours before his eulogy to Parton, Cyrus posted a star-studded birthday tribute to himself.
In the festive clip, his daughters Miley and her sister Noah, his girlfriend Elizabeth Hurley and a number of other celebrities including Lil Nas
Fans in the comments section were confused by the timing of the post, with many reasoning that Cyrus had not received the sad news of Parton’s passing when the video was posted.
“I don’t think he knows,” one fan responded, while another wrote, “It was probably a planned post.”
‘He knows. Believe me, he knows. The man is most likely in shock,” a third wrote.
Another commented: ‘What a coincidence to die on the same day as Billy’s birthday.’
Cyrus and Parton first became friends in the early ’90s when he opened for the Jolene singer shortly after the release of his breakout hit Achy Breaky Heart.
Cyrus, 65, was a longtime friend of Parton and even called the late singer his daughter Miley’s godmother
The pair toured together and there were false rumors that they had had an affair in 1992
The couple capitalized on rumors of their romance by releasing the 1993 duet “Romeo,” which reached No. 50 on the Hot 100.
The crooner welcomed daughter Miley in 1992 and named Parton as her godmother.
In 1993, Cyrus and Parton capitalized on the publicity surrounding their friendship by releasing a song together, Romeo, which reached number 50 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The legendary country singer’s death was confirmed Tuesday in an Instagram video posted by her cousin Bryan Seaver, who also acted as her head of security.
She died Tuesday morning at the age of 80 after being admitted to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville on Friday with autoimmune and kidney problems, according to TMZ.
Parton’s loved ones began running to Nashville when they heard news of her hospitalization, but not everyone was able to reach her while she was still alive.
“This video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago before I fully absorbed it as a future reality,” Seaver said.
Just two hours before his eulogy to Parton, Cyrus posted a star-studded birthday tribute to himself, featuring his girlfriend Elizabeth Hurley.
The tribute video also featured Miley, Shania Twain and many other stars
Lil Nas X, who recorded Old Town Road with Cyrus, also appeared in the video
He praised his aunt for “living in the light” and said she was now “in the arms of Jesus” and in the company of her late husband Carl Dean, as well as her parents and “countless others who have watched her and longed to meet her in heaven.”
Often referred to as the Queen of Country, Parton enjoyed an illustrious music career that spanned six decades and was perhaps best known for her hits Jolene and 9 to 5.
Her death followed months of health problems that saw her withdraw from a series of public appearances, fueling fans’ fears for her well-being.
Family insiders indicated that a private service for close friends and associates will be held in Nashville in the coming days.
In an interview published just four days before her death, Parton had stated that she still had “so many things I want to accomplish” and vowed to “keep working as long as I can to see it all come to life,” via People.
She explained that she was struggling with “some health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to when I was watching over Carl.”
