Billy Ray Cyrus reveals heartfelt message he received from Dolly Parton before she died

Billy Ray Cyrus went from celebrating his birthday to mourning the death of someone very dear to him in a matter of hours.

The country singer celebrated his 65th birthday Tuesday — the same day his close friend and fellow country artist Dolly Parton passed away.

Cyrus and Parton shared a longtime friendship, with Parton even being named godmother to Cyrus’ daughter Miley.

Early Tuesday, Cyrus shared a video his family and friends made him wishing him a happy birthday.

“What a surprise !!! Thank you to my family, friends and Elizabeth!!!” he wrote.

Three hours later, he shared a tribute of his own to his beloved friend.

“I have so many moments and memories with Dolly, it’s hard to know where to start,” he wrote on Instagram. “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. In 1992, I’ll never forget walking into her dressing room to apologize for all the tabloid stories which claimed I was having an affair with her. In true Dolly fashion, she just looked at me, winked and said, ‘Honey, this trash sells records!'”

As part of his post remembering Parton, Cyrus revealed the legendary singer sent him a message shortly before her passing.

“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,” he wrote.

Miley Cyrus, who performed numerous times with Parton onstage and featured her “Aunt Dolly” multiple times in her Disney hit “Hannah Montana,” has not yet addressed the loss publicly, but the date of Parton’s passing didn’t go unnoticed by fans.

Aug. 25 marks a significant day in the Cyrus family.

In addition to it being Billy Ray Cyrus’ birthday, it’s also a day Miley Cyrus said “historically has been important to me personally and in my career.”

She released her “Used To Be Young” on Aug. 25, 2025, and her first Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit “Wrecking Ball” on Aug. 25, 2013. That same day, she also appeared in a controversial MTV Awards performance with Robin Thicke.

It also marked the day she split from then-husband Liam Hemsworth in 2010.

Now, it will also be a day of remembrance.

Parton passed away at age 80 Tuesday. Her team said she had faced a brief battle with cancer and died Tuesday surrounded by her loved ones.

In a recording done on behalf of the Parton and Owens families, Parton’s nephew, Bryan Seaver announced the news in a video to her fans. Seaver said he was asked to record the video years ago by his aunt, “before I fully absorbed it as a future reality.”

“As her head of security for more than two decades, a role my father Larry held before me, I have imagined the heaviness of this moment, but haven’t truly felt it until now. It is an honor, an honor that is mixed with absolute pride and great sadness, but sadness lies with us, not with Dolly,” Seaver said. “Dolly has lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus, surely met by Carl, her parents, and countless others who have watched her and longed for her to meet them in the heavens.”

Known for her curvy physique, massive blonde wigs and skin-tight outfits that served her self-deprecating wit, Parton was among the most beloved personalities in music and beyond — the rare celebrity whose appeal transcended generations, geography and politics.

She wrote hundreds of songs, including classics like “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors” and “I Will Always Love You,” that totaled more than 100 million worldwide sales and more than 1 billion online streams. She was a generous philanthropist and successful businesswoman whose projects included a theme park in the Smoky Mountain foothills near her birthplace.

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