The Music Legend Miley Cyrus Reminds Dolly Parton Of

A lot of people dismissed Miley as she transitioned from Disney darling to daring pop star, but Dolly was never one of them. In fact, Dolly sang her praises in a dedication when Miley was named one of TIME's Most Influential People of 2014.

"If I didn't know how smart and talented Miley is, I might worry about her. But I've watched her grow up. So I don't," Dolly wrote in the dedication. "She knows what she's doing. She was very proud of the work she did as Hannah Montana, but people were gonna leave her there forever. And she was just smotherin' and chokin' in it. So she felt she had to do something completely drastic. And she did. She made her point, she made her mark, and more power to her."

Dolly continued in her dedication, "The girl can write. The girl can sing. The girl is smart. And she doesn't have to be so drastic. But I will respect her choices. I did it my way, so why can't she do it her way?"