The song Miley Cyrus played for her late godmother that night was “Jolene.” She held up her phone, let Dolly Parton’s voice fill the room, and then silently asked Dolly for something she still can’t explain. Miley shared what happened next with fans at the Hollywood Bowl on Sunday night, holding a heart-shaped frame with Dolly’s photo inside.
A Candle, a Flower, and “Jolene”
Dolly Parton passed away on August 25 in Nashville at the age of 80, after a brief battle with cancer. Few people felt that loss more personally than Miley. Dolly was her godmother, the woman she called “Aunt Dolly.”
Miley told the crowd the moment came after she played one of her shows. In her bedroom, she keeps a Dolly mannequin. Dolly gave it to her as a Christmas gift, dressed like her and built like her.
That night, by herself, Miley lit a candle and put a flower down for Dolly. Then she took out her phone and played “Jolene,” holding it up to the mannequin as if Dolly could hear it.
And then she asked, silently, for a sign.
“Dolly, if you’re here right now, flicker the lights.”
She never said it out loud. But according to Miley, the entire hallway started flickering.
The Man Who Saw It Happen
What makes Miley so certain is that she was not the only one who saw it.
On stage, she pointed to one of her collaborators and said he could vouch for the story. He was there when the lights flickered. But he had no idea what she had just asked Dolly for.
“So, I know she’s here with me tonight.”
Miley admitted the shows have not been easy. She told the audience she has been feeling some of the feelings she fears most, but that having Dolly with her is getting her through. Then she dedicated the night to her fans and to Dolly.
The Only Time She Ever Saw Dolly Perform
The Hollywood Bowl was not a random place for Miley to talk about Dolly. Two nights earlier, on October 16, she returned to the stage there for her first concert in nearly four years, and she broke down in tears talking about her godmother.
She explained that the Bowl was the only place she ever saw Dolly perform live. Usually, Miley said, if Dolly had her way, Miley would be standing right beside her on stage in a matching costume. But that night, Miley asked for something different. She wanted to sit out in the crowd and enjoy Dolly just like everybody else.
Dolly said yes.
Then she walked out, opened her show with “The Best of Both Worlds,” the Hannah Montana theme song that made Miley famous, and told the whole audience that Miley was sitting among them.
Miley laughed that it defeated the entire purpose and drew far more attention her way than she wanted. But looking back now, she says being able to share that story makes the night worth it.
“This memory is gold to me.”
She said she feels Dolly now more than ever, and that she can’t wait to see her again. Then, on that same stage, she sang “Jolene” through tears while the crowd helped carry her through the chorus.
The Word From Their Last Conversations
The day after Dolly died, Miley posted a simple black-and-white photo of her godmother. She wrote that their most sacred moments were private and would stay that way, behind the stage and between their hearts.
But she did share one thing. One of their last conversations was about metamorphosis, the change a caterpillar goes through to become a butterfly. For anyone who loved Dolly, that word carries extra weight. The butterfly was Dolly’s symbol for most of her career.
Miley wrote that she now knows she has an angel by her side, and that she will always love Dolly and want to make her proud.
Dolly’s family spoke in the same spirit when they announced her passing. Her nephew Bryan Seaver said she was in the arms of Jesus, surely met by her husband Carl and her parents.
Whether you believe the lights in that hallway meant something or not, one thing is clear. Less than two months after Dolly Parton’s passing, the goddaughter she once teased in front of a whole crowd is still singing her songs, and still feeling her close.
Have you ever felt a sign from someone you lost? Share your story in the comments.