Miley Cyrus breaks down honoring Dolly Parton at Hollywood Bowl: 'We are eternal'

Miley Cyrus had one request the only time she went to see Dolly Parton perform: to sit in the crowd, unnoticed, and just watch. Parton, being Parton, immediately told the entire audience her goddaughter was there. On Friday night, at that same Hollywood Bowl, Cyrus turned that story into the emotional centerpiece of her first major concert in years — and a farewell of sorts to the woman she called eternal.

The show, titled 'Miley: Bass Persuades — Live at the Hollywood Bowl,' was Cyrus's first significant live performance since Parton's death in August. Before singing 'Jolene' — the sixth song of the night — she stopped to address the crowd, her voice breaking as she shared the memory that had partly drawn her back to the venue.

If she had it her way, and she was playing a show, I'd be standing right beside her in a matching costume. And so when I was coming to the show at the Bowl to see her, I said, you know, 'I would love a night where I can just experience you. I can just enjoy you like the rest of the world has gotten to.'— Miley Cyrus, performer

Parton's response, Cyrus told the crowd, was to announce her presence anyway — with full enthusiasm. After singing 'Best of Both Worlds,' Parton told the audience that Hannah Montana herself was sitting out in the seats.

She goes, like a proud aunt, 'I don't know if y'all know this, but my goddaughter is Hannah Montana, and she's actually here tonight, but she's sitting out in her seat. She didn't want anyone to bug her. She said she just wanted to watch the show,' which defeated the entire purpose of the conversation that we had just had, because absolutely no one was aware that I was at the concert until she drew an obnoxious amount of attention to it.— Miley Cyrus, performer

The crowd laughed, but the tribute quickly turned to grief. Cyrus described feeling Parton's presence more intensely now than when she was alive, and closed the story with a declaration that drew audible emotion from the audience.

Like so many things Dolly did that I didn't understand at the time, sitting here with you all right now, feeling her all around me, knowing that she's right here beside me every day, all the time, more than she could be when she was here, I feel her more now than ever. And knowing that I get to share this story with you all, it makes that night very worth it. This memory is gold to me. Me and Dolly, we are eternal. Nothing in this life could ever tear us apart. And I'm gonna see her again. And I can't fucking wait 'cause I miss her.— Miley Cyrus, performer

A photo of Parton was projected onstage as Cyrus performed 'Jolene.' The two had a relationship that spanned decades, including Parton's appearances on 'Hannah Montana,' where she played Miley Stewart's Aunt Dolly — a role that introduced a new generation of fans to her music, according to Vulture.

Parton died in August, according to reports. For fans looking for additional ways to mark her legacy, Fever's Candlelight concert series is bringing a string-quartet tribute to Parton's catalog to the Ritz-Carlton in Marina del Rey on October 30, according to Variety.

Why it matters — The tribute marks one of the first major public acts of mourning for Parton by someone from her inner circle, and signals Cyrus's return to live performance after a years-long absence from the stage.

Reported by variety.com, hollywoodreporter.com, ew.com, vulture.com, people.com