The sweet nickname shared by two musical legends has only added to the excitement and admiration surrounding Cyrus and Nicks.
In an unexpected turn of events, Miley Cyrus and Stevie Nicks not only co-wrote a popular song together but also became close friends. The process started when Cyrus asked Nicks for permission to sample the well-known song “Edge of Seventeen” for her own smash single “Midnight Sky.” To her awe, Nicks not only agreed but also showed a great desire to work together again.
Cyrus recalled how their musical collaboration began while appearing on The Howard Stern Show, saying, “I had sampled ‘Edge of Seventeen’ and reached out to Stevie, and asked her to bless it, and she said, ‘You can borrow from me any time.’ And so I’m like, ‘S***, if you’re feeling that way, can I just borrow you and your time?’”
During The Zane Lowe Interview Series podcast, Nicks—who is best known as the lead singer of Fleetwood Mac— likewise discussed their developing friendship. She said that the two of them had a flurry of lively banter and hobbies in common during their first talk.
She recalled, “Miley and I, I didn’t really know Miley until we went into the ‘Edge of Midnight,’ ‘Edge of Seventeen’ thing. And then, we had so many phone conversations. And we’re both so loud and so talkative that we just went a million miles during our first phone conversation. And we just hit it off.”
The connection between Nicks and Cyrus grew so strong that the legendary singer bestowed upon Cyrus a special nickname. On The Howard Stern Show, Cyrus excitedly shared, “She calls me Smiley Baby. And she called and said, ‘From now on, I’m only calling you Smiley Baby because I thought that you were the most smiling baby that ever was. And then I Googled you as a baby, and you were the most smiling baby. So, to me, you’re Smiley Baby.”
They learned the value of handwritten letters, and their connection grew beyond music and phone talks. With that, the “Angels Like You” singer thanked Nicks for the time and attention that went into each letter that she received.
“Every letter that I get from Stevie is handwritten,” she said. “It’s a different amount of time someone takes. It’s not just like, hey, I’m gonna shoot a text and let you know I’m thinking about you.” Their commitment to the craft of letter writing in an age where digital communication predominates speaks volumes about the genuineness of their bond.
Interestingly, while Nicks affectionately calls Cyrus “Smiley Baby,” it’s worth noting that “Miley” isn’t the singer’s birth name. Although Miley Ray Cyrus was her formal name change in 2008, her birth name was Destiny Hope Cyrus. In a CNN interview, Miley’s father, Billy Ray Cyrus, revealed the sentimental inspiration for her new middle name.
“His name was Ronald Ray Cyrus, and a lot of people say Miley changed her name to Miley Ray because of Billy Ray, but that’s not true,” Billy shared. “She did that in honor of my dad because the two of them just loved each other to pieces.”