Dolly Parton has a big family, with 11 siblings. Some of her family members have also gone into the music industry, like her sisters Stella and Rachel, and brother Randy.
© InstagramBut her most surprising blood relation may be more famous than all her siblings put together — and it's a relatively new revelation, even for her, as it's someone she's long had a close connection with. Dolly is related to her goddaughter, Miley Cyrus.
The duo are seventh cousins, removed once, sharing a common ancestor from Tennessee, according to Ancestry. Dolly's sixth great-grandfather, John Brickey, is Miley's seventh great-grandfather. Born in Virginia in 1740, he moved to Blount County, Tennessee with his wife and children, where he remained until his death in 1806.
© Getty ImagesAccording to the "9 to 5" singer, she was unsurprised by the news that Miley was a blood relative, because her goddaughter already "feels like family."
© Getty ImagesShe told Access Hollywood of the news: "We're so close, Miley and I, I would've thought we'd have been at least third cousins, 10 times removed. I'm sure she'll get a kick out of that."
Indeed, Miley previously said that her godmother has "been like a mother to me," as she revealed Dolly had faxed her one Mother's Day: "'How much do I love you? As much as my heart can hold and as far as my arms can reach.'"
She continued: "It gets me choked up. I just love her so much. Last Christmas, she gave me a whole mannequin, done in her proportions and wearing her outfit. It’s so major."
Meanwhile, Dolly told the London Evening Standard of their bond: "Miley became my goddaughter; I was her fairy godmother. We really have a true bond; she is like a daughter to me."
© Getty ImagesDolly is so close to her goddaughter that she even made cameo appearances on Miley's breakout show Hannah Montana. The singer appeared three times as Aunt Dolly throughout the four seasons, making the show even more of a family affair as Miley's father, Billy Ray Cyrus, played her dad on camera as well.
The duo have collaborated on a number of occasions, performing duets to classics like "Jolene," "I Will Always Love You," and even Miley's own hit "Wrecking Ball."
Miley said of working with her godmother: "There's a chemistry, and a realness, and a love, and a connection that Dolly and I have that I really feel," as they rang in the New Year together in 2023.
