Dolly Parton and James Patterson Collaborate on a New Bookcast Audio Experience

Imagine the songwriting prowess of country icon Dolly Parton combined with the skillful storytelling of best-selling author James Patterson all rolled into a unique audio experience. 

Dream no more—the pair has joined forces to create the Run, Rose, Run Bookcast, which blends audio storytelling with original music and sound elements in an immersive listening experience. Run, Rose, Run will combine their co-authored fiction novel with an original soundtrack written, produced, and recorded by Dolly. It’s available for free exclusively on Spotify, with new episodes releasing weekly.

“We are honored to partner with Dolly Parton and James Patterson on Run, Rose, Run, a trailblazing audio experience from two of the world’s most prolific creators that combines Spotify’s core elements—music and spoken audio,” said Dawn Ostroff, Spotify’s Chief Content and Advertising Business Officer. “This unique audio experience exemplifies the limitless potential of audio and Spotify’s commitment to partnering with exceptional creative talent on new innovative formats.”

Set in Nashville, Run, Rose, Run follows an aspiring female musician who goes to the country music capital to pursue her dreams. She carries with her a brutal secret that serves as the inspiration for her heart-wrenching songs, and she soon learns that her hidden past threatens the future she’s trying to build. 

“I still can’t believe that I get to launch Spotify’s first-ever Bookcast with my buddy James Patterson. What a great way to reach out to listeners all around the world,” said Dolly Parton. “When we wrote this book together, I felt I could contribute best by sticking to my first love, music. James and I hope that listeners will be able to feel the connection between the book and the album as we work to bring this story and these characters to life, as only two storytellers can.”

The friendship and fandom are mutual.

“I’ve been a fan of Dolly Parton’s storytelling for years, so I was thrilled to collaborate with her on Run, Rose, Run and bring these characters to life,” said James Patterson. “The music she’s created around this project is incredible, and I’m grateful that Spotify has given us the opportunity to bring listeners a new experience of the book and album.”

Dolly Parton will release the Run, Rose, Run soundtrack on March 4 through Butterfly Records in partnership with Ingrooves/UMG, following the premiere of the Bookcast. It’s the first soundtrack for a novel. On March 7 the novel will be released simultaneously with the last six episodes of the Bookcast. 

Stream the first two songs from the Run, Rose, Run album starting today, only on Spotify.