Miley Cyrus, 33, has opened up about one of the endearing quirks of her late godmother, Dolly Parton, revealing that the country legend's insistence on having a bathtub installed in her tour bus left her genuinely baffled. The candid admission came during a conversation with Zane Lowe on Apple Music, in which Miley also shared details of her last conversation with Parton before the iconic singer's death in August following a short illness.

The Tour Bus Bathtub That Baffled Miley

Miley recalled being puzzled by Dolly's touring ritual in characteristically humorous terms. 'Dolly had the bathtub. I'm always like, "When are you taking the bath?" In the parking lot or on the freeway? Like, if you're doing it in the parking lot, then just go in the hotel. I never understood that,' she said.

Lowe, responding with amusement, quipped: 'No, no, no. The bath in the bus is serious. But also in the parking lot? At this point just go into the Four Seasons, Dolly. No, she's on the bus. We are, like I said: We are different people.'

The exchange offered a rare, playful window into the dynamic between two of America's most distinctive musical personalities — one who favoured the comforts of a hotel suite and another who reportedly kept her touring bubble intact no matter where the road led.

Miley's Last Conversation with Dolly

Beyond the lighter anecdote, Miley became more reflective when describing her final exchange with Parton. She revealed it centred on a new record she had been working on. 'The time that we talked, which was the last time we would talk, it was actually me telling her about this record because even though we are so different, that's what made us so perfect for each other,' Miley said.

She added that Dolly's seemingly 'faux' showmanship — the elaborate hair, makeup, and stagecraft — belied a profound authenticity that millions instinctively recognised. 'There's a part of her that's just what I think everyone gravitates toward, how real she is and how authentic she is,' Miley said.

How Dolly Shaped Miley's Sense of Identity

The three-time Grammy winner credited Parton with helping her navigate the blurred line between persona and self — a tension that defined much of her early career on the Disney Channel's Hannah Montana, in which Dolly Parton played Aunt Dolly, the fictional godmother of Miley Stewart, directly mirroring their real-life relationship.

'I think a way that I could look at that as, you can still have a persona and still be who you are, is because I had Dolly,' Miley said. She described growing up in a spotlight that demanded performance while Dolly's example quietly showed her that authenticity and artifice could coexist.

Embracing Emotion on Stage

The Wrecking Ball artist also recalled telling Parton that she 'always' cries when performing live. According to Miley, the composer of 9 to 5 encouraged her to embrace that emotional vulnerability rather than suppress it — a piece of guidance Miley said has stayed with her.

Parton, who died in August at 80, leaves behind one of the most celebrated catalogues in American music history. For Miley, the grief is clearly personal as well as professional — and the stories she is now sharing suggest she is finding solace in preserving the quieter, more intimate portrait of a woman the world largely knew through sequins and rhinestones.