Dolly Parton

Miley Cyrus Pens Loving Tribute to ‘Idol' and ‘Fairy Godmother' Dolly Parton

“She’s even better than your sparkliest dreams”

Dolly Parton (L) and Miley Cyrus
Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

Dolly Parton was just named one of the 100 most influential people of the year by TIME magazine, and who better to celebrate her achievement than her goddaughter, Miley Cyrus?

Cyrus has long been one of the country legend’s biggest fans, and she penned a loving message about her iconic “fairy godmother” for the TIME100 list, which included Parton in the "icons" category.

“Have you ever met anyone who doesn’t love Dolly Parton? I never have,” Cyrus wrote. “Dolly is not only my idol because of her incomparable career—she’s also my role model because of her steadfast morals and values.”

Cyrus, 28, also recalled being in awe of Parton when the country singer, 75, guest-starred on “Hannah Montana.” Parton played Hannah’s godmother, Aunt Dolly, in a few episodes of the show between 2006 and 2010.

“I remember when she came in to do a table read for Hannah Montana in all her bedazzled glory,” Cyrus wrote. “Her smell, the way her nails tapped the table, the sound it made when she flipped the pages of the script—I could see that she fascinated other people too. A living fantasy was in front of all of us.”

Since her “Hannah Montana” days, Cyrus has continued to collaborate with Parton from time to time, including when the duo sang Parton’s 1973 hit “Jolene” with Pentatonix on “The Voice” in 2016.

Parton is no doubt a musical inspiration to Cyrus, but the “Plastic Hearts” singer is equally as big a fan of Parton’s philanthropic spirit. In her TIME100 tribute, she noted the singer’s $1 million donation to COVID-19 vaccine research last year, as well as her support of the LGBTQ+ community and her Imagination Library, which gives free books to children.

“The only thing Dolly loves more than glitter is children,” Cyrus joked.

She finished her tribute with some more glowing words for the country legend.

“There’s a theory that you shouldn’t meet your heroes, but I wish everyone had the chance to meet Dolly Parton, because she’s even better than your sparkliest dreams,” she wrote. “She may be my fairy godmother, but I think she’s that to everyone else too. I am happy to share her with the world.”

This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:

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